Griffin, Furtado go back-to-back for Ravens in first game

Game One Box Score
Game Two Box Score

RINDGE, N.H. (April 21, 2010) – Freshman catcher Jessica Furtado (Taunton, Mass.) had three hits, including a solo home run on Wednesday afternoon, but the Franklin Pierce University softball team was swept by Southern New Hampshire in a Northeast-10 Conference doubleheader at Franklin Pierce Softball Field. Southern New Hampshire won the first game, 9-5, and the second game, 5-1. Senior third baseman Andrea Clausi hit a home run in each game of the doubleheader for Southern New Hampshire.

With the losses, Franklin Pierce falls to 13-20 (8-12 Northeast-10), while Southern New Hampshire improves to 15-15 (12-8 Northeast-10) with the victories.

In the first game, Southern New Hampshire opened the scoring with a run in the top of the first inning on a lead-off home run by freshman center fielder Kate Stanley, her 10th of the season, to straightaway center field.

Franklin Pierce answered with two runs of its own in the home half of the first to take a 2-1 lead. With two outs, junior second baseman Emily Griffin (Leominster, Mass.) and Furtado hit back-to-back solo home runs. Griffin's first of the season went down the left-field line, while Furtado's team-leading third of the season went out to center field.

Southern New Hampshire tied the game back up at 2-2 in the top of the second inning on a lead-off home run to left-center by Clausi, her fifth of the season.

Franklin Pierce chalked up three runs in the home half of the second to take a 5-2 lead. Junior right fielder Nicole Pratt (Gardner, Mass.) led off with a single into left and moved around to third on a single back up the middle by sophomore left fielder Rachel Baxter (Cumberland, R.I.). Pratt would be awarded home on the play, as a throw from center field to try to throw her out at third sailed out of play on the third-base side, which gave Baxter third base as well. Baxter would then score from there on an RBI single through the left side of the infield by senior first baseman Kiley Molinari (Meriden, Conn.). Later in the inning, Molinari would score on a wild pitch.

Southern New Hampshire then got one run back on a third-inning RBI single by junior shortstop Melissa Vitagliano and pulled within a run at 5-4 in the fifth on an RBI single to left by freshman second baseman Kelsea Cheney.

From there, the Penmen would surge to a 7-5 lead with three runs in the top of the sixth inning. Clausi led off the inning with a walk and freshman Nicole Newell followed with a pinch-hit, infield single. Later in the inning, both runners would score when junior catcher Elena Anderson cranked a three-run, go-ahead home run to center field, her second of the season.

Southern New Hampshire picked up a pair of insurance runs in the top of the seventh on bases-loaded walks to freshman right fielder Jessica Berardi and Stanley to create the 9-5 final

Junior right-hander Kayla Johnson (Hudson, N.H.) started in the circle and took the loss (5-10) for Franklin Pierce. Over six innings of work, she allowed seven runs (six earned) on 10 hits, walked one, hit a batter and struck out five.

Junior right-hander Kelsey Griffin took the ball, tossed a complete game and picked up the win (10-8) for Southern New Hampshire. She allowed five runs on eight hits, walked three, threw a wild pitch and struck out three.

In the second game, Southern New Hampshire opened things up with a run in the top of the third when Vitagliano led off with a home run to center field, her third of the season. The Penmen made it 2-0 in the top of the fourth on Clausi's second home run of the day, this one a solo shot to left field.

Franklin Pierce briefly cut the deficit in half with a run in the home half of the fourth to make it 2-1. Freshman shortstop Aimee Lamoureux (East Brookfield, Mass.) led off with a single into right-center and moved to second two batters later on a single to center by Emily Griffin. Furtado then came through with a double into the right-center field gap to drive home the run.

However, Southern New Hampshire would open the lead up to 5-1 with three runs in the top of the fifth inning. Vitagliano started things with a single to left-center and moved to second when Berardi reached on an error. Vitagliano was then erased at third base as Stanley reached on a fielder's choice. That brought Anderson to the plate, and she drove an RBI single back up the middle to bring home Berardi. Stanley would then score for second on a ground-rule double down the right-field line by freshman left fielder Cristy Jenkins. Senior first baseman Melissa Pessotti then lifted a sacrifice fly to center to drive home the third and final run of the inning and create the 5-1 final.

Sophomore right-hander Jessica Wiley (Cape Vincent, N.Y.) got the start in the second game and took the loss (6-6) for Franklin Pierce. In five innings, she allowed five runs (three earned) on seven hits, did not issue a walk and struck out four.

Sophomore right-hander Jen Garloff went to the circle and tossed a complete game to pick up the win (4-6) for Southern New Hampshire. She allowed one run on five hits, walked two, threw a wild pitch and struck out 10.

The Ravens return to the field on Saturday, April 24, when they travel to New Haven for a Northeast-10 Conference doubleheader. First pitch is scheduled for noon in West Haven, Conn. Franklin Pierce next plays at home on Wednesday, April 28 against Le Moyne at 3 p.m.