GREENVILLE, S.C. (February 8, 2025) – The Stonehill College Softball team went undefeated on day two of the Paladin Invitational, defeating UT Martin before taking down the hosts, Furman University, at Pepsi Stadium Saturday night.
GAME 1 - Stonehill 2 (2-1, 0-0 NEC), UT Martin 1 (1-3, 0-0 OVC)
HOW IT HAPPENED
UT Martin got on the board in the bottom of the first on a double steal with
Kennedy Brown scoring from third base while
Kyla Harley got thrown out at second by junior
Jessica Brill (Natick, Mass.).
Stonehill tied it up in the top of the third when a double from senior
Chloe Kelly (East Bridgewater, Mass.), followed by a wild pitch, left her 60 feet from scoring until a single from junior
Natalie Bottiglieri (Massapequa, N.Y.) brought her in to score.
Both teams went scoreless for the next three and a half innings, but the tie was broken when freshman
Jenny Olson (Salem, N.H.) laid down a bunt that brought senior
Emily Nardelli (North Attleboro, Mass.) home from third base.
Sophomore
Alexa Hospodar (Old Bethpage, N.Y.) relieved classmate
Alex Sciarretto (Bristol, Conn.) in the bottom of the seventh and locked down the save despite runners being on second and third with just one out in the inning for the (other) Skyhawks.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
- Olson went 2-4 with two singles and one RBI out of the leadoff spot while driving in the winning run.
- Sciarretto improved to 1-0 on the season, hurling for 6.1 innings with two strikeouts while allowing two hits, six walks, and one run. Hospodar earned her first save of the season and second of her career, recording the final two outs of the game.
- This was the first meeting between Stonehill and UT Martin, marking the first time the only two NCAA Division I teams with Skyhawks as their mascots faced off.
GAME 2 - Stonehill 9 (3-1, 0-0 NEC), Furman 6 (1-2, 0-0 OVC)
HOW IT HAPPENED
Stonehill took an early 6-0 lead thanks to a two-run double from senior
Shannon Conte (Amesbury, Mass.) in the first inning, followed by a four-run second inning for the Skyhawks that was capped off by a two-run single from sophomore
Harper Sullivan (Glendale, Ariz.).
The Paladins started to rally in the bottom of the fourth inning as
Sylvia Burroughs launched a two-run shot over the left-center field fence. A third run came in the fifth inning for Furman on a sacrifice fly to right field from
Ansley Chiang.
Stonehill added a pair of insurance runs in the sixth as Sullivan came through again, this time with the bases loaded, lining a single up the middle to drive in two more runs and put the Skyhawks ahead, 8-3.
Furman answered with two runs in the sixth, but an RBI single from freshman
Grace Conaway (St. Paul Park, Minn.) put the game out of reach in the seventh inning.
Freshman
Sarah Taylor (Concord, N.H.) came in to pitch the final two innings, securing her first career save as she locked down the 9-6 win for Stonehill, the Skyhawks' third consecutive win.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
- Hospodar started in the circle for Stonehill, pitching five innings while allowing six hits, five runs, and three walks in the win.
- Despite only going 1-4 at the plate, Olson scored three times for the Skyhawks out of the leadoff spot.
- Conte went 2-4 with a double and two RBI, while Sullivan led the way with four runs batted in on two singles and a walk.
- Burroughs went 2-3 with a double, a home run, three runs batted in, a run scored, and drew a walk for the Paladins.
UP NEXT
- Stonehill softball returns to action tomorrow morning for another matchup against the UT Martin Skyhawks at 8:30 a.m. at Pepsi Stadium in Greenville, S.C., on the final day of the Paladin Invitational.
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