Tricia Hansen has solid all-around performance in pitching
circle and at the dish in game one
EASTON, Mass. (April 25, 2013) -- The Franklin Pierce
University softball team was swept by Stonehill in a doubleheader
on Thursday afternoon at Father Gartland Field in Easton, Mass. The
Skyhawks outslugged the Ravens, 12-8, in game one and then trimmed
Franklin Pierce, 6-1, in game two to complete the three-game season
series sweep. Franklin Pierce fell to 8-28 overall and 5-21 in the
Northeast-10 (4-14 Northeast Division), while Stonehill improved to
23-22-1 and 15-10-1 in league play (10-7-1 NE Div).
The day's first game was one of the
wildest contests for the Ravens in recent memory as both teams
combined for 20 runs and 20 hits.
Stonehill scored all 12 of its runs
over the first four innings, including a five-run outburst in the
first frame. Franklin Pierce exploded early itself by scoring seven
runs in the first three frames, including three each in the second
and third, but the Ravens could not keep up the pace with the
Skyhawks.
Freshman Melissa Morgan
(Clifton Park, N.Y.) belted a pair of solo home runs,
including in the top of the first to give the Ravens and early 1-0
advantage. Morgan's two blasts gave her four on the season, which
is just one off the single season school-record mark of five set by
Jessica Furtado (Taunton, Mass.) in 2012 and
Marisa Giannone in 1997.
Morgan's classmate Sam
Conners (Jackson, N.J.) also launched a long ball, which
was a two-run shot to left-center field in the second inning. It
was her first of two homers on the day as she also smacked a solo
shot in the second game to account for Franklin Pierce's only
scoring in the contest.
Megan Staudle went 2-for-2 at the
dish for the Skyhawks and drove in three runs, including a homer,
while also scoring twice. Nicole Eisenmann also jacked a home run
and scored twice to aid Stonehill's attack.
Both pitching staffs were hit hard
in the contest, but Stonehill's Lauren Esposito was able to
navigate through the rough waters to earn the win to even her
record at 6-6 on the year. She pitched the final five innings in
relief and yielded three runs -- however none were earned following
multiple errors from her fielders -- on four hits with a strikeout
and a walk.
Rachel Allen (Hull,
Mass.) started in the circle for the Ravens and took the
loss to fall to 5-10 after going just two innings. Freshman
Tricia Hansen (Mansfield, Mass.) provided two
innings of no-hit relief, including striking out three and not
issuing any walks. She had a solid all-around game by also stroking
a pair of hits and scoring a run.
Stonehill clung to a minimal 1-0
lead in game two, but blew things open with five runs over the
fourth and fifth innings.
Hansen couldn't carry over the
momentum of her strong game-one performance into game two as she
was tagged with the loss. She struck out four and once again did
not issue a walk, but six runs on 10 hits in 4.0 innings of work
dropped her record to 0-11 on the year.
Lindsay McKillop pitched a
complete-game victory for the Skyhawks as she scattered a run on
three hits over 7.0 innings.
Franklin Pierce returns to action
Saturday when the Ravens travel to North Andover, Mass. to take on
Merrimack in a doubleheader beginning at 12 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). Fans wishing to purchase
Franklin Pierce softball apparel can do so on the athletic
department's online store at
athletics.franklinpierce.edu/store(.)
