Melissa Morgan blasts two-run homer in game two
RINDGE, N.H. (April 8, 2014) – The Franklin Pierce
University softball team took part in a historic day on Tuesday, as
the Ravens opened the newly constructed Melissa Bisaccia Memorial
Softball Complex with a doubleheader against Saint Anselm. The
Ravens gave the Hawks a good battle in game one before coming up
short, 2-1, while dropping a 9-2 decision in game two.
Saint Anselm improved to 13-7
overall and 6-3 in the Northeast-10 (3-0 Northeast Division), while
the Ravens dipped to 4-12 and 3-6 in league play (1-4 NE
Division).
All three of the Ravens runs came
via the home run, as senior Ashley Noke (Cumberland,
R.I.) became the first Raven to account for a run in the
facility's history, as she blasted a solo home run over the
left-field fence in the bottom of the fourth inning in game
one.
Both of Franklin Pierce's
runs in the second game came off a two-run shot by Melissa
Morgan (Clifton Park, N.Y.) in the second inning, also
scoring Julie Gallagher (Flanders, N.J.), who was
pinch running for Sydney Despres (Sterling,
Mass.), who herself laced a single back up the middle
earlier in the frame.
Noke's blast in the first
game knotted the score at 1-1, but Saint Anselm countered with the
go-ahead run in the sixth when Emily Crannell scored from third on
a passed ball. The Ravens went 1-2-3 in the sixth, and put a runner
into scoring position in the seventh, but a groundout and
runner's interference nullified a potential tying rally.
Morgan's homer put Franklin
Pierce up 2-1 in game two, but once again the Hawks responded and
knotted the score with a run in the third as Nicole Boucher crossed
home plate on a sacrifice bunt by Pattie Turner.
Saint Anselm exploded for five runs
in the fifth, highlighted by a two-run double from Monique Gauthier
and a three-run homer by Julie LeClair. The Hawks tacked on two
more runs in the sixth, as Turner drove in Crannell and Boucher on
a double to left field.
Tayla Trask and Paige Cormier
picked up the wins in the pitching circle for Saint Anselm, as each
tossed complete-game performances.
Mandi Adee (Kinderhook,
N.Y.) tossed a strong outing in game one for the Ravens as
she yielded just two runs on five hits over 7.0 innings of work.
Tricia Hansen (Mansfield, Mass.) took the loss in
game two despite throwing a complete game.
Franklin Pierce returns to action
Wednesday when the Ravens travel to Manchester to take on Southern
New Hampshire in a doubleheader beginning at 4 p.m.
For more information on Franklin
Pierce softball, please visit the team's page at http://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 http://athletics.franklinpierce.edu/store(.)