Ashley Noke led the Ravens with a team-best .333 batting average this season

RINDGE, N.H. (April 28, 2013) -- The Franklin Pierce University softball team closed out its 2013 season on Sunday with a pair of tough losses to Merrimack at the FPU Softball Field in Rindge. The Warriors downed the Ravens, 5-0, in game one and then picked up a 12-0 win in five innings in game two. Franklin Pierce wrapped up its season at 9-31 overall and 6-23 in the Northeast-10 (5-16 Northeast Division), while Merrimack improved to 21-22-1 and 13-11-1 in league play (11-9-1 NE Div).

Tawny Palmieri cranked a pair of home runs on the day, including one in each game. Palmieri, along with Allison Berthiaume, highlighted a seven-run fourth inning in game two as each launched a three-run homer. Key Perry added a solo shot of her own in the first inning of game two as Merrimack capped the doubleheader sweep.

Valerie Bauer scattered three hits over five innings of work to earn the complete-game victory in game two. Kelli Jo Deardorff got the win in the pitching circle in game one by going five innings and scattering three hits with five strikeouts and a walk.

Despite the losses, it was a special day for the Franklin Pierce program as it was 2013 senior day, and prior to the doubleheader, the four-person senior class of Jessica Wiley (Cape Vincent, N.Y.), Jessica Furtado (Taunton, Mass.), Rachel Allen (Hull, Mass.) and Megan Bird (Laconia, N.H.) were honored for their four years of dedication and commitment to the program. Each senior made their mark as an athlete at Franklin Pierce, but more importantly each one was a standout in the classroom as they all were placed on the Northeast-10 Commissioner's Academic Honor Roll multiple times during their career.

Furtado leaves Franklin Pierce as one of the best hitters in program history as she is the all-time leader in home runs (10) and runs batted in (65). She moved into first place in program history in the latter category on Saturday with an RBI in a game-one win over Merrimack. Furtado is also the program's single-season home run leader as she blasted five as a junior in 2012.

Allen has been one of the most durable pitchers for the Ravens and in the Northeast-10 Conference over the past four seasons. Despite being a full-time starter for only three seasons, Allen's name is sprinkled throughout the program record book as she ranks fifth in program history with 68 career appearances, ninth with 118 career strikeouts and 10th with 281.1 innings pitched. Her team-leading five wins this season were also a career-high for victories in a single campaign.

Wiley has her name plastered throughout the program record book as she ranks seventh in program history with 13 career wins. She also ranks sixth in career appearances and career strikeouts, eighth in complete-game performances and ninth in innings pitched. Her seven victories in 2010 ranks as the fourth highest total for a single season in program history.

Bird has proven to be one of the most versatile student-athletes at Franklin Pierce during the past four seasons as she also starred on the field hockey team in addition to her time on the softball diamond. Bird ranked among the NE-10 leaders in sacrifice hits last season and this past year served as a senior captain for the field hockey and became the program's all-time leader in assists with 16.

Junior Ashley Noke (Cumberland, R.I.) led the Ravens with a .333 batting average this season as she finished the last half of the campaign on an offensive tear at the dish. Freshman Melissa Morgan (Clifton Park, N.Y.) was the team's home run leader with four, while classmate Sam Conners (Jackson, N.J.) knocked in a team-best 13 runs. 

In the pitching circle, Allen led the team in wins, starts (16), complete games (7) and innings pitched (84.0). Freshman Tricia Hansen (Mansfield, Mass.) struck out a team-best 49 batters, while also posting the lowest earned run average at 3.80. Wiley collected the team's lone save on the year.

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(.)