Sophomore Meryl Lawrence won her 25th-straight NE-10 match in singles and doubles play to help lead the Skyhawks past Franklin Pierce.

Skyhawks open fall season with decisive win behind five double-winners

EASTON, Mass. (September 14, 2012) – Stonehill College, ranked fifth in the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) East Regional rankings, opened its 2012-13 season with a commanding 9-0 triumph over Franklin Pierce University in Northeast-10 Conference women's tennis action at Charles Watt Tennis Courts this afternoon.

Senior Paige Frost (Brigantine, N.J./Holy Spirit), sophomore Meryl Lawrence (North Scituate, R.I./Mount Saint Charles Academy) and freshmen Bailey Paradiso (Birmingham, Mich./Marian), Analise Kump (Falmouth, Maine/Falmouth) and Kirsti Toegemann (Narragansett, R.I./The Lincoln School) were all double winners for Stonehill.

Paradiso rolled to a 6-0, 6-1 win over Franklin Pierce junior Natasha McCarthy (Rindge, N.H./Conant) at No. 1 singles in her collegiate debut. Paradiso also combined with Frost for an 8-0 win at No. 1 doubles. Frost posted a 6-3, 6-0 win over Ravens freshman Aubrey Lovejoy (Holden, Mass./Wachusett Regional) at No. 4.

Kump claimed a 6-1, 6-3 victory over Franklin Pierce freshman Kirby Melbourne (Rancho Santa Fe, Calif./The Grauer School) in her collegiate debut at No. 2 singles. Kump also teamed up with Lawrence for an 8-0 win at No. 2 doubles. Lawrence, improved to a combined 25-0 in NE-10 play over her two year career, with a 6-3, 6-0 decision over senior Melissa Cohen (Queens, N.Y./Andrew Jackson) at No. 3 singles.

Toegemann, the younger sister of former Stonehill standout Amy Toegemann, '12, rounded out the double-winners for the Skyhawks in her collegiate debut. She claimed a 6-3, 6-0 win over Franklin Pierce sophomore Leslie Rodgers (Baltimore, Md./Westminster) at No. 5 singles after combining with senior Chelsea Haedrich (Islip, N.Y./Islip) for an 8-1 victory at No. 3 doubles. Junior Kaitlyn Martin (Medway, Mass./Medway) also picked up a point for Stonehill with a 6-0, 6-0 win at No. 6 singles.

Stonehill (1-0, 1-0 NE-10) is back in action on Sunday when it visits Saint Anselm College for an NE-10 dual match at 1 p.m. The Skyhawks don't return home until October 9, when it hosts the University of New Haven for a Conference clash at 3 p.m. Franklin Pierce (0-2, 0-2 NE-10) hosts Bentley University on Wednesday, September 19, at 2 p.m. 

Stonehill 9, Franklin Pierce 0

Singles:

*Doubles:

 * - doubles matches played first