Griffin, Johnson, Hoppe and Pratt honored on Senior Day

GAME 1 BOXSCORE

GAME 2 BOXSCORE

RINDGE, N.H. (April 26, 2011) – The Franklin Pierce University softball team was swept by UMass-Lowell in a doubleheader on Tuesday at the FPU Softball Field in Rindge, N.H. The River Hawks won game one, 8-0, and then picked up a 5-0 win in game two. Franklin Pierce fell to 10-26 overall and 8-16 in the Northeast-10, while UMass-Lowell improved to 28-18 and 14-10 in league play.

Prior to the game, Franklin Pierce honored four student-athletes on Senior Day, who are playing their final seasons in a Ravens uniform in 2011, including senior co-captains Emily Griffin (Leominster, Mass.), Kayla Johnson (Hudson, N.H.), senior Anna Hoppe (North Hero, Vt.) and junior Nicole Pratt (Gardner, Mass.).

In game one, both Hoppe and Pratt stroked a team-high two hits to pace the Ravens offensive attack. However, Franklin Pierce could not push a run across in the contest, while UMass-Lowell scored twice in the third to break a scoreless tie and then scored two times in each inning from the fifth to the seventh to seal the win. Elyssa Boris had two hits in the game, including a towering solo home run to center field in the fifth, and scored twice to spark the River Hawks' offensive attack. Krista Mackenzie drove in a pair of runs on a two-out single in the sixth inning.

Rachel Shafler got the start in the pitching circle for UMass-Lowell and earned the win as she went the distance and scattered five hits, while striking out seven and allowing just one walk.

Johnson started in the pitching circle for the Ravens and had a solid outing despite suffering the loss, as she went 5.0 innings, yielding four runs (only two earned) on five hits with a pair of strikeouts.

In game two, UMass-Lowell used more timely hitting and strong pitching to post a second-consecutive shutout win. Lindsi Panarelli drove in Mackenzie with an RBI single in the first inning to open the scoring, as that run would be all the River Hawks needed. UMass-Lowell also scored a run in each of the final four innings to extend its lead and earn the win.

Boris had another outstanding offensive game in the nightcap as she went 3-for-4 with an RBI. She also got the starting nod in the pitching circle in game two and worked a complete-game to earn the win, scattering just three hits over that time while striking out two.

Jessica Wiley (Cape Vincent, N.Y.) took the circle for the Ravens in game two and went all seven innings, but was saddled with the loss after allowing five runs (four earned) on 12 hits with two strikeouts and three walks. Jayme Bilafer (Concord, Mass.) collected two of Franklin Pierce's three hits in the game.

Franklin Pierce returns to action Friday when the Ravens play host to Southern Connecticut State in Rindge in a doubleheader starting at 3 p.m.

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).