Baxter goes 3-for-3, drives in five runs, including a grand slam in game-two win; Jayme Bilafer also goes 3-for-3 in win

CLERMONT, Fla. (March 17, 2011) -- The Franklin Pierce University softball team rebounded from a tough game-one loss to New York Institute of Technology (4-3 in 8 inns.) on Thursday, and blasted NYIT in the second game, 10-2, in five innings. The Ravens ran their record to 2-8 on their spring break trip at the National Training Center in Clermont, Fla.

In game one, the Ravens took a 3-2 lead into the bottom of the eighth inning, but NYIT pushed a pair of runs across in the final frame to pick up the one-run victory. Junior third baseman Meaghan O'Neal (Littleton, Mass.) stroked a single and smacked a triple in the game, while sophomore catcher Jessica Furtado (Taunton, Mass.) roped an RBI double. Junior outfielder Rachel Baxter (Cumberland, R.I.) drove in a run during the game as well with a base hit, but her biggest offensive highlight came in game two.

In game two, the Ravens broke it wide open in the first inning when Baxter launched a grand slam to put Franklin Pierce up 4-2. The Ravens would add a run in the second, tack on four more in the fourth and put the eight-run mercy rule into effect in the fifth with another run to end the game.

Baxter went 3-for-3 in the game and drove in five runs. O'Neal drove in three runs on a pair of singles and junior outfielder Jayme Bilafer (Concord, Mass.) went a perfect 3-for-3 at the dish, including driving in a run on a triple. Senior second baseman Emily Griffin (Leominster, Mass.) had a strong game at the plate as she blasted a double and a triple.

Senior Jessica Wiley (Cape Vincent, N.Y.) started in the pitching circle and went the distance in earning the victory. She yielded two unearned runs on nine hits with four strikeouts and just one walk.

Franklin Pierce conludes it 2011 spring break trip on Friday morning at 10:45 a.m. with a game against Bridgeport in Clermont.

For more information on Franklin Pierce softball, please visit the team's page at athletics.franklinpierce.edu(.) To follow the program even further, please visit Franklin Pierce Athletics on YouTube (www.youtube.com/FranklinPierceSports), Twitter (www.twitter.com/FPUathletics) and Facebook (www.facebook.com/FranklinPierceAthletics).