Jessica Furtado launches two-run homer in game two
EASTON, Mass. (April 3, 2012) -- The Franklin Pierce
University softball team was swept in a Tuesday doubleheader at
Stonehill, dropping game one by a 7-3 count and falling in game two
6-3. The games were played at Father Gartland Field in Easton,
Mass. The Ravens dipped to 9-14 overall and 7-7 in the
Northeast-10, while the Skyhawks improved to 15-7 and 8-6 in league
play.
Stonehill's early offensive attack
was the catalyst in the game one victory as the Skyhawks exploded
for a combined six runs in the first four innings to take a 6-0
lead. Courtney Marchand highlighted the second inning as she
stroked a two-run single, scoring Brianna Gunter and Jocelynne
Morrell.
Marchand collected another RBI in
the fourth inning when she lifted a sacrifice fly to center field,
scoring Kaitlin Miller, who doubled to lead off the frame. Nicole
Eisenman capped the early barrage of runs later in the frame when
singled back through the middle of the infield to plate Chelsea
Stryker, who laid down a bunt single in the inning's second
at-bat.
The Ravens tried to claw back and
did score three runs in the top of the fifth on one swing of the
bat by senior outfielder Jayme Bilafer (Concord,
Mass.), as she homered to left-center field. Senior
Meaghan O'Neal (Littleton, Mass.) and junior
Megan Bird (Laconia, N.H.) came around to score on
Bilafer's homer as the two each stroked a single earlier in the
inning.
However, that was as close as the
Ravens would get in trying to pull off a winning rally. Franklin
Pierce could not plate anymore runs over the final two innings,
while the Skyhawks tacked on an insurance run in the bottom of the
fifth when Gunter doubled down the right-field line to lead off the
frame and eventually scored on a fielder's choice.
The Skyhawks were able to solve
Franklin Pierce starting pitcher Kaitlyn Johnson (New Boston,
N.H.), as the freshman was tagged for six runs (only three earned)
on nine hits through 3.1 innings of work. She suffered the loss to
fall to 4-6 on the season.
Lindsay McKillop started in the
circle for Stonehill and went 4.1 innings, giving up just three
runs on four hits with a pair of strikeouts to earn the win to
improve to 2-1 on the year.
Stryker had three hits and scored a
pair of runs to help key the Stonehill attack. O'Neal paced the
Ravens with a pair of hits.
Stonehill brought the bats out
early and often in game two, including scoring a run in the first
and five more in the third to take another 6-0 lead. McKillop and
Kelsey Wilcox each smacked two-run doubles to key the explosive
third inning.
Franklin Pierce, again, tried to
claw back into the game and pushed a run across in the fifth and
two more in the six to trim the deficit to 6-3. Senior
Jamie Verner (Natick, Mass.) launched a solo homer
in the fifth, while junior Jessica Furtado (Taunton,
Mass.) smacked a two-run shot in the following frame,
scoring senior Rachel Baxter (Cumberland, R.I.) on
the play, who singled earlier in the inning.
Junior pitcher Rachel Allen
(Hull, Mass.) started in the circle for the Ravens and
took the loss to fall to 3-6, yielding six runs (four earned) on
eight hits over 6.0 innings of work. Samantha Krantz got the win
for Stonehill as she went 5.2 innings to (3 runs, 5 hits, 6
strikeouts) to run her record to 7-3 on the season. Kellie Reardon
came on in relief in both games and picked up a pair of saves.
Franklin Pierce returns to action
tomorrow when the Ravens play host to Assumption in a doubleheader
in Rindge beginning 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/FranklinPierceRavens).
