Softball Continues Homestand with Bentley and Stonehill This Week
Links: Bentley Stats (G1 | G2) | Stonehill Stats (G1 | G2)
NORTH ANDOVER, Mass. –The Merrimack College softball team continues its homestand and looks to extend its four-game win streak when it hosts Northeast-10 Conference divisional opponents Bentley and Stonehill in doubleheaders on Tuesday and Wednesday, respectively. The first game is scheduled for a 3:00 p.m. start.
The Basics
Date/Time: April 12-13 | 3/5pm
Records: Merrimack (13-19, 6-7 NE-10) | Bentley (10-10, 8-2 NE-10) | Stonehill (16-11, 12-3 NE-10)
Location: Warrior Softball Diamond | North Andover, Massachusetts
Last Time Out:
In their first meeting since 2012, the Warriors swept American International in two games at Merrimack on Monday afternoon. Sophomore Megan Cook (Bellingham, Mass.) pitched a complete game in the first win of the day, while sophomore Courtney Zambello (Sharon, Mass.) and senior captain Alexis Perry (Burlington, Vt.) combined to hold the Yellow Jackets to just one hit in game two's 3-2 win.
Last Season vs. Bentley/Stonehill:
The Warriors swept the Falcons last year in their three-game season series, holding Bentley to no runs in two of those games and outscoring them across the three games 17-6. Perry pitched a complete game shutout in the first game of the series at Warrior Diamond, while four pitchers combined to shutout the Falcons in the third game of the series and what was Merrimack's season finale.
The Warriors fell in all three of their games with the Skyhawks last season, including a hard-fought loss in their final matchup of the season where Merrimack scored two runs in the bottom of the seventh inning to cut their deficit to just one, but were unable to complete the dramatic comeback.
The Falcons:
- Bentley enters Tuesday's games with an 10-10 record overall, but holds a 6-1 record in the NE-10 Northeast Division which has them in first place. After some big wins in recent days, the Warriors sit fifth in the division and are just a game behind Assumption, who they hold the tiebreaker against.
- Junior Kelsey Kennedy leads her team this season with a .365 batting average in 19 games this year. She is also tied for second on the team with seven RBI and is one of just two players on the roster who have registered a home run.
- Senior Kelly Ferris has handled a majority of the work on the mound this season, pitching 54% of inning time among four different pitchers. She has a 6-6 record with the second-lowest ERA in the NE-10 at 1.58. Junior Kelsey Smith is second on her team with 34.1 IP this season, posting a 4-0 record with three complete games and a 2.04 ERA.
The Skyhawks:
- Stonehill rolls into Wednesday's games with a 16-11 record on the year and sits in third in the NE-10 Northeast Division with an 8-3 record. They are currently on a six-game winning streak.
- Junior Michelle Carbone has led the Skyhawks both at the plate and on the mound this season, as she leads her team with a .400 batting average and 20 RBI, and is second with three home runs. She has also made seven appearances on the mound for Stonehill with four starts and a 4-1 record. She holds the lowest ERA in conference at 1.12.
- Senior Allison Sumski leads the Skyhawks with five home runs, a total that ranks fifth in the NE-10, and is tied with Carbone for the team-lead with 20 RBI. Senior Sarah Ropiak has been the go-to pitcher for Stonehill this season, pitching in 15 games and posting a 7-5 record with a 3.42 ERA.
Up Next
The Warriors conclude their three-game homestand on Wednesday when they host divisional foe Stonehill for two games at Warrior Diamond beginning at 3:00 p.m.
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