Furtado double wins game one, Wiley tosses shutout in game two

Game One Box Score
Game Two Box Score

COLCHESTER, Vt. (April 3, 2010) – Freshman catcher Jessica Furtado (Taunton, Mass.) went 2-for-3 with a two-run, eighth-inning, game-winning double to give the Franklin Pierce University softball team a 4-3, eight-inning victory over Saint Michael's in the first game of a Northeast-10 Conference doubleheader on Saturday afternoon at Doc Jacobs Field. Later in the day, sophomore right-hander Jessica Wiley (Cape Vincent, N.Y.) tossed a four-hit shutout as Franklin Pierce picked up a 3-0 win to sweep the doubleheader.

With the victories, Franklin Pierce improves to 8-11 (3-3 Northeast-10), while Saint Michael's falls to 6-8 (1-3 Northeast-10) with the losses.

In the first game, Franklin Pierce opened the scoring with a run in the top of the fifth inning. Furtado led off with a walk and was replaced by senior pinch runner Kiley Molinari (Meriden, Conn.), who moved to third when senior designated player Kristen Tracy (Putnam Valley, N.Y.) reached on an error and was replaced by freshman pinch runner Alexa Demsey (Maidstone, Vt.). Molinari would score later in the inning on a sacrifice fly to left by junior second baseman Emily Griffin (Leominster, Mass.).

Saint Michael's answered with two runs of its own in the home half of the fifth to take a 2-1 lead. With one out, sophomore right fielder Ellis Lussier hit a double and freshman third baseman Carleen McLaughlin worked a walk two batters later. Lussier would score and McLaughlin would move around to third when senior center fielder Katelyn Billings reached on an error. McLaughlin would later score on an RBI single by freshman pitcher Stephanie Frank.

Franklin Pierce would tie the game with a run in the top of the seventh to force extra innings. Junior right fielder Nicole Pratt (Gardner, Mass.) led off with a walk and moved over to third on a single by Furtado. Pratt was eventually erased at home on a fielder's choice, while Furtado made her way around to third. Furtado would score the tying run on an RBI double by Griffin.

The Ravens struck again for two runs in the top of the eighth to take a 4-2 lead. Sophomore third baseman Meaghan O'Neal (Littleton, Mass.) led off the inning, reached at second on an error and was replaced by junior pinch runner Melissa Wade (Taunton, Mass.). Wade would move to third on a single by sophomore first baseman Keryn Shannon (Dracut, Mass.), who stole second base, and the bases were then loaded as freshman shortstop Aimee Lamoureux (East Brookfield, Mass.) worked a walk. That set the stage for Furtado, who clubbed a two-run double to give Franklin Pierce the lead.

Saint Michael's mounted a rally in the bottom of the eighth, but came up a run short to create the 4-3 final. Billings led off with a walk and eventually scored on an RBI groundout by senior catcher Heather French.

Freshman right-hander Lindsay Hodges (Sherburne, N.Y.) took to the circle for Franklin Pierce in the first game and picked up the win (2-2). Over eight innings, she allowed three runs (one earned) on six hits, walked two and struck out three.

Frank took the loss (4-4) for Saint Michael's. In eight innings of work, she allowed four runs on six hits, walked four and struck out six.

In the second game, Franklin Pierce scored the only two runs it would need in the top of the third inning. Sophomore catcher Jamie Verner (Natick, Mass.) led off with a walk, but was erased at second as Wade bounced into a fielder's choice. Wade would then move to second on a wild pitch and score on an RBI double by sophomore center fielder Jayme Bilafer (Concord, Mass.), who then came around to score when O'Neal reached on an error.

The Ravens would add an insurance marker in the top of the sixth to create the 3-0 final. With one out, Furtado reached at second base on an error and was replaced by Demsey, who pinch ran. Demsey moved to third on a groundout and scored when Pratt laid down a squeeze bunt, but reached first safely on an error anyway.

Wiley took the ball for Franklin Pierce in the second game and spun a shutout to pick up the win (4-2). She allowed four hits, walked one and struck out two.

Senior right-hander Kelly Egan took the loss (2-4) in the circle for Saint Michael's. Over seven innings, she surrendered three runs (one earned) on three hits, walked one, threw a wild pitch and struck out three.

The Ravens return to the field on Wednesday, April 7, when they travel to Stonehill for a Northeast-10 Conference doubleheader. First pitch is scheduled for 3 p.m. in Easton, Mass. Franklin Pierce next plays at home on Tuesday, April 13 against Merrimack at 3 p.m.