EASTON, Mass. (April 28, 2025) – Sophomore Harper Sullivan (Glendale, Ariz.) pitched a complete game, 10-inning, shutout to lead the Stonehill College softball team to a walk-off, Northeast Conference win over FDU, 1-0, at Fr. Gartland Field on Monday.
 
FINAL/10 Stonehill 1 (14-33, 5-13 NEC), FDU 0 (24-24, 13-8 NEC)
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
FDU had the first scoring chance of the day in the top of the third when the Knights loaded the bases, but Sullivan escaped the jam when a line drive went straight into the glove of senior Alyssa Grossi (Wakefield, Mass.) at first base who then doubled up the runner at first to preserve the shutout.
 
Stonehill had an excellent chance to score in the bottom of the fourth after leading off the inning with a single and a double to get runners on second and third with no outs. FDU kept the Skyhawks off the board after forcing a pop out, strikeout, and foul out to keep the score tied at 0-0.
 
Junior Jessica Brill (Natick, Mass.) fielded a sharply hit ground ball to shortstop, and an FDU baserunner tried to score from second base when Brill saved the shutout in the fifth inning by throwing her out at the plate.
 
The Knights loaded the bases in the top of the eighth inning, but Brill made another sure-handed play at shortstop to get the force out at third base with two outs and end the half inning.
 
Both teams went scoreless in the ninth inning, and the 10th inning saw the start of the extra baserunner being placed on second, but Sullivan evaded danger, forcing three straight lineouts to strand the Knight on second.
 
With junior Natalie Bottiglieri (Massapequa, N.Y.) starting the bottom of the 10th on second base, Stonehill opted for back-to-back bunts with senior Chloe Kelly (East Bridgewater, Mass.) advancing her to third before sophomore Piper Hofmann (Windermere, Fla.) laid down a perfect bunt as Bottiglieri diving in headfirst to home plate to give Stonehill the 1-0 win.
 
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

• Sullivan dominated in the circle, pitching her fourth complete game of the season while improving to 6-3 on the year. She slashed a stat line of 10 innings, nine hits allowed, zero runs, three walks, and two strikeouts.
• Sullivan's earned run average of 3.73 this season ranks tied for fifth in the NEC and tops on the Skyhawks. Her 40 earned runs allowed is the second-fewest mark in the conference.
• Sullivan also went 1-3 at the plate, hitting her team-leading seventh double of the season.
• Freshman Grace Conaway (St. Paul Park, Minn.) went 2-4 with a pair of singles as she improved her batting average to a team-best .356, the sixth-best in the NEC.
• Senior Caroline Green (Brockton, Mass.) recorded her first base hit of the season, while Hofmann picked up a hit and had the lone RBI of the game for either team.

UP NEXT

• Stonehill softball closed out its home schedule today and will be back on the road on Wednesday, April 30, for a non-conference matchup at the University of Massachusetts in Amherst, Mass., with the game slated for a 4 p.m. first pitch.

 
For the latest on Stonehill Athletics, follow the Skyhawks via social media on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.