Lamoureux collects three hits

Game One Box Score
Game Two Box Score

RINDGE, N.H. (April 28, 2010) – Freshman shortstop Aimee Lamoureux (East Brookfield, Mass.) had three hits and drove in two runs on Wednesday afternoon, but the Franklin Pierce University softball team was defeated twice by Le Moyne in a Northeast-10 Conference doubleheader at Franklin Pierce Softball Field. Le Moyne won the first game, 11-3 in five innings, and the second game, 19-4 in six innings. Both games were halted early, due to the eight-run rule. Sophomore first baseman Leah Ford hit two home runs and drove in seven runs for Le Moyne in the second game.

With the losses, Franklin Pierce falls to 14-26 (9-18 Northeast-10), while Le Moyne improves to 17-17 (15-9 Northeast-10) with the pair of wins.

In the first game, Le Moyne opened up with three runs in the first and three more in the second and never looked back. Senior second baseman Kelly Schweikert and sophomore catcher Morgan Edmondson each drove in a run in the inning, the latter via a sacrifice fly. Later in the inning, Schweikert, who reached on an error, scored from third while sophomore shortstop Barbara Shea was caught stealing in the first-and-third situation. In the second inning, freshman designated player Demetra Kermidas led off with a solo home run down the right-field line, while Schweikert knocked an RBI double down the left-field line later in the inning. In between, senior left fielder Bailey Phillips hit an RBI single through the left side of the infield.

Franklin Pierce cut the deficit to 6-3 with three runs of its own in the home half of the second. Sophomore left fielder Rachel Baxter (Cumberland, R.I.) started the two-out rally with a single to center before senior designated player Kristen Tracy (Putnam Valley, N.Y.) and senior first baseman Kiley Molinari (Meriden, Conn.) worked walks behind her to load the bases. Lamoureux brought home the first two runs with a double to right field and Molinari later scored the third on a wild pitch.

However, Le Moyne broke the game open and created the 11-3 final with five runs in the top of the third inning. Schweikert had the big blow of the inning with a two-run double to center, junior center fielder Amanda Daum drove home a run with a single to left field and two other runs came across to score on errors.

Freshman right-hander Lindsay Hodges (Sherburne, N.Y.) started and took the loss (2-5) for Franklin Pierce in the first game. Over two separate stints in the circle totaling 4.1 innings, she allowed nine runs (six earned) on 10 hits, walked one and struck out three.

Junior right-hander Jenna Vanacore pitched all five innings and picked up the win (9-6) for Le Moyne. She allowed three runs on three hits, walked six, threw three wild pitches and struck out seven.

In the second game, Le Moyne opened the scoring with six runs in the top of the first inning and never looked back. Ford had a two-run double in the inning, while Kermidas and Phillips each hit RBI doubles as well. Meanwhile, Edmondson and senior right fielder Danielle VanGorder each hit run-scoring singles.

Franklin Pierce picked up one run in the bottom of the first to make it 6-1. Lamoureux led off with a single to right field and took second, third and home on wild pitches over the course of the inning.

Le Moyne kept things going with four runs in the top of the third to extend the lead to 10-1. Ford provided most of the damage with a three-run home run to center field, while the other run came on an RBI triple into the gap in right-center by Kermidas.

Franklin Pierce pulled it back to a 10-3 deficit with two runs in the home half of the third. Lamoureux and sophomore center fielder Jayme Bilafer (Concord, Mass.) started the inning with a single and double, respectively, to put runners on second and third. Lamoureux would later score on a sacrifice fly to right field by sophomore third baseman Meaghan O'Neal (Littleton, Mass.). Bilafer moved to third on the flyout and would later score from there on a wild pitch.

Le Moyne picked up a run in the top of the fifth on an RBI double by sophomore designated player Kelcie Cashel to make it 11-3. Franklin Pierce made it 11-4 and avoided the eight-run rule temporarily with a run in the home half of the inning on an RBI single by O'Neal.

However, Le Moyne would put the game away with eight runs in the top of the sixth to create the 19-4 final. Shea and Ford each hit two-run home runs in the inning, while Shea added an RBI single later in the inning as well. Schweikert drove home a run with a single of her own, while Kermidas produced an RBI groundout. The other remaining run of the inning was Phillips, who scored via an error after reaching on an error earlier in the inning.

Sophomore right-hander Jessica Wiley (Cape Vincent, N.Y.) started the second game and took the loss (6-9) for Franklin Pierce. In one inning of work, she allowed six runs on five hits, walked one and hit a batter.

Phillips threw all six innings to pick up the win (2-1) in the circle for Le Moyne. She surrendered four runs on nine hits, walked three, threw seven wild pitches and struck out one.

The Ravens return to the field on Thursday, April 29, when they travel to Massachusetts Lowell for a Northeast-10 Conference contest. First pitch is scheduled for 4 p.m. at River View Field in Lowell, Mass. Franklin Pierce next plays at home on Saturday, May 1 against Assumption at noon.