EASTON, MASS. (March 22, 2025) – The Stonehill College softball team lost both games of a doubleheader, 12-8, 8-0, to Long Island University at Fr. Gartland Field in the Skyhawks home opener.
 
GAME 1 – LIU 12 (8-17, 2-2 NEC), Stonehill 8 (6-14, 0-4 NEC)
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
LIU scored three runs in the first inning off of two home runs and added a fourth run in the second inning on another solo home run to left center field. The Skyhawks began to rally in the second as freshman Grace Conaway (St. Paul Park, Minn.) ripped a single up the middle to score senior Shannon Conte (Amesbury, Mass.) followed by an RBI hit-by-pitch from sophomore Piper Hofmann (Windermere, Fla.) to make the score 4-2.
 
Senior Chloe Kelly (East Bridgewater, Mass.) made it a one-run game in the bottom of the third with a sacrifice bunt to the pitcher that plated freshman Jenny Olson (Salem, N.H.). LIU's Jaedyn Lincoln hit her second homerun of the game in the fourth inning over the right field fence to make it 5-3 and after a pair of scoreless innings from both teams, the offenses came alive in the seventh.
 
In the top half of the inning, the Sharks blasted three homeruns, rattling off seven runs in the frame, capped off by a three-run shot from Lily Hinkle that made the score 12-3. Conaway started a rally in the bottom half of the seventh, lining a two-run double to center field. Junior Jessica Brill (Natick, Mass.) drove in another run on an RBI single, and Hofmann drove in two more on a double into the right-centerfield gap to trim the Skyhawk deficit to four, 12-8. The Sharks forced a groundout to third to end the game as LIU secured the NEC win.
 
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

• Junior Lauren Donovan (Marblehead, Mass.) falls to 1-3 in the circle, going 4 IP, allowing nine hits and seven runs. Sophia Mariotinni improved to 4-6 for the Sharks, going 5.1 IP, giving up seven hits and three runs (two earned), with three strikeouts.
• Hofmann and Conaway led the Skyhawks, both going 2-4 with three RBI apiece.
• Senior Isabella Therrien (Auburn, Mass.) went 2-3 with a double and drew a walk. Brill was the fourth Skyhawk with a multi-hit game, going 2-4 with a double, a run scored, and an RBI.
• LIU hit six homeruns, with Lincoln blasting two as she went 2-4 with a pair of RBIs and runs scored.

 
GAME 2 – LIU 8 (9-17, 3-2 NEC), Stonehill 0 (6-15, 0-5 NEC)
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
LIU carried its homerun hitting into the second game of the day as Hinkle hit a blast over the left field fence on the first pitch of the game.
 
Dallas Andrews knocked in a run with an RBI double to left in the second inning and Hinkle plated another run with a single to right field as the Sharks led 3-0. Hannah Burnett hit a homerun to dead center field in the fifth inning for the Sharks and Hinkle drove in her third run of the game as LIU took a 5-0 advantage.
 
In the top of the sixth, the Sharks increased their lead to 8-0 on an RBI single by Alyssa Garcia and a two-RBI double down the left-field line from Burnett. The Skyhawks were held scoreless in the bottom half of the sixth as LIU secured the 8-0 win.
 
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

• Sophomore Harper Sullivan (Glendale, Ariz.) falls to 1-2 in the circle for the Skyhawks, hurling for five innings, allowing seven hits and four runs while striking out two.
• Stonehill had two hits in the game, one from Conte and the other from redshirt junior May Dawes (Beacon Falls, Conn.).
• Burnett and Hinkle each had three runs batted in for the Sharks and starter Alyssa O'Donnell pitched a complete game shutout for LIU, improving to 1-1 this season.

UP NEXT

• Stonehill softball plays one more Northeast Conference contest against LIU tomorrow at noon at Fr. Gartland Field.

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