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Box Score 2 COLCHESTER, Vt. – Ali Maloof (Norwood, Mass.) of the Southern New Hampshire University softball team totaled 15 strikeouts in two games, and pitched a perfect game en route to a sweep over Saint Michael's by scores of 5-0 and 6-0 Monday afternoon in Northeast-10 Conference action. The Penmen improve to 23-12 overall and 12-8 in conference play, while the Purple Knights fall to 1-26 and 1-18 in the league.
Maloof totaled 11 strikeouts in game one as well as four in game two to shutout the Purple Knights. The perfect game marks the second of her career, with her first coming in 2012 in a five-inning win over Saint Rose. The junior has three career no-hitters, including one earlier this season in Florida against Holy Family.
The Penmen got their bats going early in game one as Holly Eicher (Stoneham, Mass.) hit an RBI single to score Mo Hannan (Scarborough, Maine) who reached on a single to get on base.
SNHU built on its 1-0 lead in the next inning as two more runs scored on two Saint Michael's wild pitches to go up 3-0 after two. Senior Tesia Stanasek (Blackstone, Mass.) doubled to left field to put two in scoring position, and also to record her 100th career hit.
Maloof struck out five batters in the next two innings before the Penmen scored again in the top of the fifth.
Katie Caruso (Newton, Mass.) homered to left center to put another run on the Southern New Hampshire side in the fifth inning to take a 4-0 lead.
The Penmen scored one more run in the game as Maloof stole home to take a five-run lead, and continued to strikeout two more in the bottom of the seventh to secure the win and the perfect game.
Maloof went seven innings, totaling 11 strikeouts and allowing no hits, walks, or errors. Laura McCormack also pitched a complete game for the Purple Knights allowing nine hits, five runs, and striking out none.
In the second game of the day, Maloof pitched four innings while totaling four strikeouts, and allowing just two hits and no runs. She also went 4-4 at the plate with a double and an RBI.
The game was scoreless until the top of the fifth inning when the Penmen finally got on the board. Erin Morrissey (Commack, N.Y.) led-off with a single to right field, and advanced to third on a Stanasek sacrifice bunt. Maloof then singled up the middle to score one run, and another Caruso homerun to center field scored two more to boost the lead to 3-0.
The Penmen held the Purple Knights scoreless for the next two innings, while scoring three more times in the seventh. Erin McHugh (Hopewell Junction, N.Y.) singled to left field to start the inning, followed by a Maloof single up the middle. Lindsey Bolduc (Londonderry, N.H.) then homered to left center to score three and go up 6-0.
Rebecca Sherwood (Braintree, Mass.) relieved Maloof after four innings, recording one strikeout and allowing just two hits and no runs. The Penmen totaled 11 hits in the game.
The Penmen return to action tomorrow, April 22 when they travel to Saint Anselm for a league doubleheader starting at 3:00 p.m.
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