Caitlin Murphy drives in a pair in game one win
NORTH ANDOVER, Mass. (April 27, 2013) -- The Franklin
Pierce University softball team picked up a 5-1 win in game one of
Saturday's doubleheader at Merrimack, but then dropped an 8-0
decision in five innings in game two as the teams split their
twinbill at Warrior Diamond in North Andover, Mass. The Ravens
moved to 9-29 overall and 6-22 in the Northeast-10 (5-15 Northeast
Division), while the Warriors moved to 19-22-1 and 12-11-1 in
league play (10-9-1 NE Div).
Freshman hurler Tricia
Hansen (Mansfield, Mass.) turned in a spectacular
performance in the circle to pick up her first career collegiate
victory, as she went all seven innings and struck out eight while
scattering a run on two hits over that time.
She retired 17 of the first 19
batters she faced (eight via strikeout), including 10 straight
before Merrimack was finally able to get to her with a home run by
Tawny Palmieri in the sixth inning. The solo shot did nothing to trip up Hansen, who
retired the final four batters she faced to finish off the victory.
She also showed great command of her pitches by yielding just one
walk.
While Hansen was tossing a gem in the circle,
Franklin Pierce's offense exploded for five runs, including three
in the third inning to go up 4-0. Senior Jessica Furtado
(Taunton, Mass.) worked a bases loaded walk to force in a
run and freshman Caitlin Murphy (Braintree, Mass.)
slapped an 0-2 pitch into center field for a two-run single,
scoring both Alicia Dean (Danvers, Mass.) and
Sam Conners (Jackson, N.J.).
Dean, who had two hits in the game, scored later
in the fifth inning when sophomore Karissa Forzese
(Methuen, Mass.) knocked her in with a sacrifice bunt.
Murphy and junior Ashley Noke (Cumberland,
R.I.) joined Dean with two hits apiece, including Noke,
who singled in a run in the first inning to get the day
going.
Franklin Pierce couldn't carry the momentum over
into game two, as Merrimack scored twice in both the second and
fourth innings before busting open for four more in the fifth to
set the eight-run rule into effect.
Franklin Pierce returns to action Sunday when
the Ravens close out their 2013 season by playing host to Merrimack
in a doubleheader at the FPU Softball Field in Rindge. The series
will begin at 12 p.m., with the second game to begin at
approximately at 2 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(.)