Tracy drives home pair of runs for Ravens

Game One Box Score
Game Two Box Score

EASTON, Mass. (April 8, 2009) – Senior catcher Yesenia Marrero (Brockton, Mass./Brockton) went 3-for-5 with a home run and a double, drove in three runs and scored twice in two games on Wednesday afternoon to lead Stonehill to a sweep of the Franklin Pierce University softball team in a Northeast-10 Conference doubleheader at Fr. Gartland C.S.C. Field. Stonehill won the first game, 2-1, and the second game, 5-2. Junior catcher Kristen Tracy (Putnam Valley, N.Y./Walter Panas) had a double and drove in a pair of runs in the doubleheader for Franklin Pierce.

In the first game, Franklin Pierce opened the scoring with a run in the top of the first inning. With one out, freshman center fielder Jayme Bilafer (Concord, Mass./Concord-Carlisle) singled to left field and moved to third when senior designated hitter Elaine Matthews (Roslindale, Mass./Archbishop Williams) followed with a single of her own to left. Bilafer then scored on a groundout to shortstop by Tracy.

Stonehill tied the game 1-1 with a run in the bottom of the fourth inning. With two outs, senior center fielder Kate Brides (West Bridgewater, Mass./West Bridgewater) singled to center field, stole second and moved to third when the throw from the catcher escaped into center field. Brides then scored when Marrero knocked an RBI double down the left-field line.

Stonehill would then score what proved to be the winning run when senior first baseman Courtney Young (Danvers, Mass./Danvers) led off the bottom of the fifth inning with a solo home run to right field, her second home run of the season.

Senior pitcher Courtney Jacobs (Fitchburg, Mass./Fitchburg) threw all six innings and took the loss (2-8) in the circle for Franklin Pierce in the first game. She allowed two runs on four hits, walked two and struck out one.

Junior Kait Mendall (Middleboro, Mass./Coyle-Cassidy) went the distance on the rubber and picked up the win (1-2) for Stonehill. Over seven innings, she gave up one unearned run on three hits, walked two, threw a wild pitch and struck out five.

In the second game, Stonehill opened the scoring with a pair of runs in the bottom of the first inning. Freshman shortstop Chelsea Stryker (Baldwin, N.Y./Kellenberg Memorial) led off with a single to right field, stole second and scored two batters later on a double into the right-center field gap by Brides. Brides in turn moved to third on a single through the left side by Marrero and scored on an RBI groundout to third base by senior second baseman Meghan Sheehy (East Islip, N.Y./St. Anthony’s).

Franklin Pierce momentarily cut the lead in half with a run in the top of the third inning. With one out, sophomore second baseman Emily Griffin (Leominster, Mass./Leominster) doubled into the gap in left-center, moved to third on a passed ball and later scored on a double to left field by Tracy.

The Skyhawks added a pair of runs in the bottom half of the third to extend the lead to 4-1. With one out, Marrero hit a solo home run to left field, her second of the season. Two batters later, Young followed with her second solo home run of the day, a two-out shot to center field.

Franklin Pierce got as close as 4-2 with a run in the top of the fifth inning. Senior first baseman Jen Ryan (Winthrop, Mass./Winthrop) led off with a single to center field and was subsequently erased at second base as Griffin reached on a fielder’s choice. Griffin then moved to second on a single to right by Bilafer and scored when junior third baseman Kiley Molinari (Meriden, Conn./Maloney) followed with a single to center field.

Stonehill capped the scoring and created the 5-2 final with a run in the bottom of the fifth inning. Marrero led off, was hit by a pitch and moved to second on a wile pitch. She would later score from second while freshman pitcher Kellie Reardon (Burlington, Mass./Arlington Catholic) reached on an error by the shortstop.

Freshman pitcher Jess Wiley (Cape Vincent, N.Y./Thousand Islands) started in the circle, pitched the first five innings and took the loss (2-4) in the second game for Franklin Pierce. She surrendered five runs (four earned) on 10 hits, issued no walks, hit a batter, threw a wild pitch and struck out four.

Reardon threw a complete game to pick up the win (1-3) for Stonehill. Over seven innings, she allowed two runs on eight hits, walked one and struck out six.

The Ravens (4-16, 0-8 Northeast-10) return to the field on Friday, April 10, when they host Dowling in a non-conference doubleheader. First pitch is scheduled for 2 p.m. at Lassie League Field in Leominster, Mass. Stonehill (4-16, 4-4 Northeast-10) returns to action on April 9 at Saint Michael’s.