April 23, 2009

Box Score

Senior CF Stacey Lajoie (Gardner, MA) and sophomore SS Stephanie Rollo (Dracut, MA) each batted 4 for 6 as UMass Lowell defeated Stonehill College, 6-2 and 6-2, Thursday in a Northeast-10 Conference twin bill at River View Field.

With the victories, UMass Lowell improved to 8-29-1 overall and 7-16-1 in the NE-10 entering Saturday’s doubleheader against Saint Michael’s (1:00) and Sunday’s regular season finale at home against American International (1:00).

Stonehill slipped to 10-24 overall and 10-12 in the NE-10. The Skyhawks visit New Haven Friday at 3:00.

Lajoie scored five runs, drove in two and drew a pair of walks while Rollo scored three runs. Sophomore LF Hannah May (Hardwick, MA) batted 3 for 5 with two RBI, two runs and two walks.

UMass Lowell pulled away from a 2-1 lead with four runs in the fifth inning of the opener. Lajoie ignited the rally with an RBI double while sophomore DH Hilary Hopkins (Poway, CA) also had an RBI double. Freshman P Elyssa Boris (Gardner, MA) capped the rally with a two-run single.

UMass Lowell opened the scoring in the first inning when Lajoie reached home on a fielder’s choice and May later stole home.

Stonehill pulled one back in the second inning behind an RBI single by junior RF Kristen Clark (Brockton, MA). The Skyhawks twice left the bases loaded and stranded 14 runners.

Boris improved to 3-15 as she allowed four hits, one earned run and seven walks while striking out five in 5.0 innings. She also batted 1 for 3 with three RBI.

Freshman P Samantha Krantz (Hampton Bays, NY) took the loss to slip to 2-7. Krantz scattered seven hits, six runs (earned) and three walks.

Freshman C Lindsi Panarelli (Shrewsbury, MA) batted 2 for 3 while Rollo also hit 2 for 3 with one run.

Clark led Stonehill, hitting 1 for 2 with two walks and one RBI while sophomore 3B Ashley Langlois (Ridgefield, CT) also hit 1 for 2 with two walks.

Lajoie highlighted the nightcap as she went 3 for 3 with three runs and two RBI while May batted 3 for 4 with two RBI and Rollo 2 for 3 with two runs.

Lajoie opened the scoring in the first inning when she reached on a walk, stole second and advanced home on consecutive errors. She also started a three-run rally in the third inning with an RBI single while May drove in two runs with a single for an early 4-0 cushion.

An RBI single by Lajoie gave UMass Lowell a 5-0 lead in the fourth, but the Skyhawks scored one in each of the fifth and sixth innings. In the fifth, senior 2B Meghan Sheehy (East Islip, NY) was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to score freshman SS Chelsea Stryker (Baldwin, NY).

Stryker cut the lead to 5-2 in the sixth when she reached home on a walk to senior Yesenia Marrero (Brockton, MA).

Stryker batted 2 for 3 with two runs while senior CF Kate Brides (West Bridgewater, MA) also hit 2 for 3 to lead Stonehill.

Sophomore P Rachel Schafler (Floral Park, NY) improved to 1-1 as she yielded seven hits, two runs and two walks while striking out five.

Freshman P Kaitlin Andrews (Hudson, MA) took the loss (6-8) as she allowed 10 hits, six runs (five earned) and a walk while striking out four.