Megan Bird had a double in game one for the Ravens
MANCHESTER, N.H. (April 9, 2013) -- The Franklin
Pierce University softball team was swept on the road in a
doubleheader by Southern New Hampshire on Tuesday at Penmen Field
in Manchester, N.H. SNHU picked up a 7-2 win in game one, while
adding a 7-0 victory in game two, to improve to 13-8 overall and
6-3 in the Northeast-10 (3-0 Northeast Division). The Ravens dipped
to 3-16 and 1-11 in league play (0-6 NE Division).
The Penmen exploded for a combined
six runs in the first inning of both games, including four in the
day's opening contest to set the tone for the afternoon.
Morgan Farmer went 3-for-3 in the
first game for SNHU, including driving in a run in the first inning
and then providing a power surge with a two-run homer to center
field in the fifth inning to break open a three-run lead into a
commanding 7-2 advantage. Cristy Jenkins also smacked a home run
for the Penmen, which was a solo shot to right field in the
third.
Franklin Pierce banged out seven
hits in the game, including three for extra bases as
freshmenMelissa Morgan (Clifton Park,
N.Y.) and Tricia Hansen (Mansfield,
Mass.), and senior Megan Bird (Laconia,
N.H.), each ripped a double. Hansen's two-base knock led
off the fourth inning and Morgan followed two batters later by
roping a double to center field to bring her in.
JuniorAshley Noke (Cumberland, R.I.) was
another offensive bright spot for the Ravens as she went
2-for-3.
Ali Maloof (6-3) got the win in the
pitching circle for the Penmen by going all seven innings and
yielding the two runs on seven hits with 12 strikeouts and just one
base on ball. Maloof's counterpart, Franklin Pierce
starter Mandi Adee (Kinderhook,
N.Y.) was tagged with the loss to fall to 1-3 after
she went 4.1 innings and gave up seven runs (only four earned) on
eight hits and five walks.
Things didn't get better for the
Ravens in game two as Southern New Hampshire pushed a pair of runs
across in the first inning to again take an early lead. The Penmen
loaded the bases with one out and Jenkins drew a walk to force in
the first run, while Cara Daly lifted a sacrifice fly to center
field to bring home Kate Stanley for the second tally.
That was all the run support
starter Dolores Mattice would need as she pitched seven shutout
innings and allowed just two hits (both singles), while striking
out seven and walking only three to earn the win and run her record
to 5-1.
Hansen and fellow
freshman Courtney Caputo (Stony Brook,
N.Y.) were the two Ravens to get a hit off
Mattice.
Just for insurance, SNHU tacked on
a run in the fifth and then added four more in the sixth. Farmer
highlighted the sixth with a two-run double to center field,
bringing in Jenkins and Kelsea Cheney on the play. Cheney had
delivered the inning's first two runs a few at-bats earlier as she
laced a two-run single back through the middle of the infield.
Rachel Allen (Hull,
Mass.) got the start in the circle for the Ravens and
suffered the loss to fall to 2-5 after going 5.0 innings and
allowing three runs on seven hits.
Franklin Pierce returns to action
Wednesday when the Ravens play host to Saint Anselm 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). Fans wishing to purchase
Franklin Pierce softball apparel can do so on the athletic
department's online store at
athletics.franklinpierce.edu/store(.)
