Senior captain Kate Surgen collected one hit in six at-bats on Thursday against Stonehill.

Stonehill Pitching Silences Franklin Pierce in Sweep
Ippolito tosses perfect game in 6-0 win, then Mendall cedes two hits in 2-0 victory

EASTON, Mass. (April 3, 2008) – The pitching duo of senior Jamie Ippolito (Chelsea, Mass./Savio Prep) and sophomore Kait Mendall (Middleboro, Mass./Coyle-Cassidy) combined to allow only two hits as Stonehill College swept a Northeast-10 Conference softball doubleheader from Franklin Pierce University on Thursday afternoon at Father Gartland Field, winning by scores of 6-0 and 2-0.

Stonehill 6, Franklin Pierce 0

Ippolito was perfect in the front end of the Thursday twinbill, as she threw the first perfect game in the history of the Stonehill softball program in the 6-0 win.

Ippolito (2-0) only struck out three batters in her seven innings of work, but got seven ground outs and relied on her fielders to track down 11 balls hit through the air.

Stonehill scored once in four of the first five innings and added two in the sixth to complement Ippolito in the circle. Junior designated player Courtney Young (Danvers, Mass./Danvers) was one of four Skyhawks to gather two hits, singling in the game-winning run and adding a solo home run in the fifth inning. Sophomore Kristen Clark (Brockton, Mass./Brockton) also had two hits and scored twice.

Freshman Caitlin Beagan (Warwick, R.I./Pilgrim) made her second career start for Franklin Pierce, throwing her first complete game. The freshman gave up six runs (four earned) on 11 hits in six innings to take the loss (0-3).

BOXSCORE AND PLAY-BY-PLAY

Junior Courtney Jacobs had her best outing of the year on Thursday, giving up only one earned run on seven hits.

Stonehill 2, Franklin Pierce 0

Franklin Pierce fared little better in the second half of the doubleheader, as Mendall scattered only two hits in seven innings in the 2-0 win.

Much like Ippolito, Mendall (1-1) relied on the fielders behind her to get the victory. The sophomore gave up two hits and struck out only one in her seven innings of work, getting nine ground outs and 11 through the air.

Junior Courtney Jacobs (Fitchburg, Mass./Fitchburg) matched Mendall through the first three innings before giving up one run in the fourth and an unearned run in the sixth. The junior (0-6) gave up only two runs (one earned) on seven hits in six innings of work, striking out four in her best outing of the season.

Senior Lauren Rappoli (Wilmington, Mass./Wilmington) began the fourth with a single and advanced to second on a fielding error by Raven center fielder Stephanie Howard (Norwalk, Conn./Norwalk). Young then doubled Rappoli home for the only run the Skyhawks would need on the day. Young also scored an insurance run for Stonehill in the bottom of the sixth.

BOXSCORE AND PLAY-BY-PLAY

Franklin Pierce (1-15, 0-6 NE-10) will travel to Long Island for a pair of doubleheaders this weekend, beginning on Saturday with two games at Molloy College starting at 1 p.m. Stonehill (13-7, 5-1 NE-10) continues Northeast-10 play on Saturday with a doubleheader at Saint Anselm College.