Stonehill College’s baseball team defeated Merrimack College 14-9 in a non-conference matchup on April 28. The game took place on the road, and with this win, Stonehill improved its overall record to 18-21, while Merrimack dropped to 17-24.
The victory is notable as it demonstrates Stonehill’s ability to respond under pressure and maintain their lead against a late rally from their opponent. The result also reflects the team’s ongoing performance as they prepare for upcoming conference games.
Senior Michael Rickert led Stonehill’s offense by going three-for-six at the plate, including a double, three runs scored, and three runs batted in. Juniors Jamison Howland and Nick Lundquist each contributed three RBI; Howland hit two doubles while Lundquist recorded his third home run of the season. Graduate student Sam Parks finished two-for-four with a double and scored three times. Junior Ryan LeClair extended his on-base streak to 34 games and notched his first triple of the year, while Nathan Kearney continued his hitting streak at twelve games and on-base streak at thirty-one games. Sophomore Jack Welsch earned his second win of the season after pitching nearly three innings of scoreless relief with four strikeouts.
Merrimack initially took an early lead by scoring three runs in the second inning. However, Stonehill responded in the third inning with four runs highlighted by LeClair’s two-run triple, Rickert’s RBI single, and Howland’s RBI double to move ahead. The Skyhawks widened their advantage in the sixth inning with seven more runs fueled by multiple hits including a home run from Lundquist. They added another three runs in the seventh before Merrimack mounted a late comeback attempt that ultimately fell short.
Looking ahead, Stonehill will return to Northeast Conference play for a weekend series against Le Moyne in Syracuse starting Friday at 3 p.m.
