Senior Emily Padilla went 2-for-3 with a triple and three RBI today.

Skyhawks sweep weekend series, win fifth straight heading into the postseason

EASTON, Mass. (April 24, 2016) – The Stonehill College softball team wrapped up its 2016 regular season schedule this afternoon with a convincing 10-3 win at Franklin Pierce University in Northeast-10 Conference Northeast Division action at the Bisaccia Softball Complex.

With the win, Stonehill secures a first round bye in next week's Northeast-10 Conference Tournament and will open play with a second round contest next Thursday on the campus of top-seeded Pace University. Stonehill will take on the winner of the first round matchup between third seeded Adelphi University and fourth seeded University of New Haven.

Stonehill had a balanced attack at the plate, as five Skyhawks posted multi-hit efforts and eight different players scored a run. Senior Emily Padilla (Wappingers Falls, New York/Roy C. Ketcham) went 2-for-3 with a walk, a triple and three RBI, while classmate Alison Sumski (Amherst, New Hampshire/Souhegan) finished 2-for-4 with two doubles and two RBI. Senior Megan Staudle (New Windsor, New York/Cornwall Central) went 2-for-3 with two RBI and junior Michelle Carbone (Deer Park, New York/ St. Anthony's) also recorded two hits and two RBI.

Senior Sarah Ropiak (Acton, Massachusetts/Acton-Boxborough) started in the circle today for Stonehill and picked up her 12^th win of the season, pitching 5.2 innings while allowing three runs on seven hits. Classmate Megan Ruonavaara (Rocky Hill, Connecticut/Rocky Hill) came on in relief and pitched 1.1 scoreless innings, striking out a batter and allowing just one walk.

For Franklin Pierce, Senior Morgan Cahill (Saratoga Springs, New York/Saratoga Springs) led the Ravens at the plate, going 2-for-3 with an RBI, while classmate Courtney Caputo (Stony Brook, New York/Ward Melville) finished with a hit and RBI. Sophomore Abbigael Cook (Greenville, Rhode Island/Smithfield) and senior Melissa Morgan (Clifton Park, New York/Shenendehowa) each recorded a 1-for-2 effort at the plate with a run scored.

Senior Alison Sumski finished 2-for-4 with two doubles and two RBI today.

Stonehill, whose bats have been on fire over its current five game winning streak, came out of the gates hot again, jumping out to a 2-0 lead in the first inning. Senior Lauren Esposito (Middlefield, Connecticut/Coginchaug) started the inning off with a single and moved over to second on a sacrifice bunt. After junior Lianna Jordan (Staten Island, New York/St. Joseph By the Sea) singled, she advanced to second on the throw and Esposito was safe at third. Carbone then hit a sacrifice fly to score the game's first run and Sumski connected on a RBI double to score Jordan.

Stonehill added another run in the second and three more in the third inning to take a commanding six run lead. In the fourth, the Skyhawks loaded the bases with one out and junior Jacklyn Oleksak (Massapequa, New York/Plainedge) delivered a sacrifice fly to right field, scoring Jordan from third.

Franklin Pierce scored twice in the bottom of the fourth inning, as Cook led off with a single and senior Erin Wood (Dover, New York/Dover) roped a double to put two runners in scoring position. Sophomore Jaclyn Cortese (Upton, Massachusetts/Nipmuc Regional) then forced in a run when she grounded out to the first baseman and Cahill doubled to score Wood third base.

Stonehill responded with three runs in the fifth when sophomore Erin Brayden (Saco, Maine/Thornton Academy) hit a leadoff single, followed by a walk by Padilla and a single by junior Taylor Lester (East Northport, New York/St. Anthony's) to load the bases. Staudle then came through with a two-RBI single and Carbone followed with a single to score Lester.

After Franklin Pierce scored a run in the bottom of the fifth, Ropiak and Ruonavaara combine to allow just one hit and two walks the rest of the way to finish the sweep of the Ravens.

Stonehill (23-16, 19-8 NE-10) will find out its NE-10 Tournament opponent following Tuesday's first round action between the University of New Haven and Adelphi University. Franklin Pierce sees its season come to a close at 15-22 overall and 10-13 in conference play.