Terence Barclay, ’13, Staff Writer
The Merrimack softball team moved to 8-14 on the season after a 2-3 weekend. The Warriors hosted Southern New Hampshire University on April 5, a double-header against New Haven on Saturday, and a double-header against Southern Connecticut State University on Sunday.
Southern New Hampshire scored six of its seven runs in the top of the second inning, and that proved to be the difference in the game, as the Warriors rallied with four out of the game’s final five runs but ultimately fell, 7-5, in the Warriors’ home opener on Friday afternoon at the Warrior Softball Diamond.
After the visiting Penmen took a 6-1 lead after two innings, the Warriors clawed to within one run in the bottom of the fifth thanks to a three-run homer off the bat of Keaira Monet Perry ’14.
Southern New Hampshire added a late insurance run on an infield single in the top of the sixth inning, and reliever Ali Maloof sealed the deal in the late innings to preserve the win for the Penmen.
On Saturday, the Warriors earned a double-header split as they played host to the New Haven Chargers. Trailing by a 6-0 deficit heading into its final at-bat in game one, the Warriors rallied for five runs and had the tying run in scoring position, but starter Micah Stonesifer shut the door by striking out the final batter of the game, as the Chargers held on to hand Merrimack a 6-5 defeat to start the afternoon.
Down by a run in the bottom of the fourth in the second game of the afternoon, Ashley Perry ‘14 sparked the Warriors with a two-run homer to cap off a five-run bottom of the fourth, as Merrimack went on to earn the double-header split with a 6-1 victory over New Haven in game two.
On Sunday, the Warriors played host to a double-header against the Southern Connecticut State Owls. In game one of the afternoon, SCSU came to within one run after four innings, but Lindsay Gibbs ’15 and Keira Perry connected on back-to-back solo home runs to put the game out of reach, as the Warriors took game one, 6-2, over the Owls.
Southern Connecticut would have no answers in the sixth and seventh innings, as the Warriors held on to earn the game one victory. In game two of the afternoon, Merrimack held the lead, 3-2, in the top of the sixth.
That lead evaporated as Southern Connecticut returned the favor with a game-changing two-run homer, as the Warriors dropped game two, 5-3, to settle for the double-header split. Freshman Alexis Perry had a lead late in the game after entering the game in the top of the second, but the rookie allowed a two-run, go-ahead homer and one further score in the sixth to put the Owls ahead by two.
