Franklin Pierce Swept by FORT MYERS, Fla. (March 19, 2005) – The Franklin Pierce softball team suffered a season opening doubleheader sweep to non-conference foe Florida Gulf Coast University this afternoon in Fort Myers, Fla. The Ravens were shutout 8-0 in game one and blanked 2-0 in game two, as the Eagles extended their winning steak to ten games. In game one, Florida Gulf Coast jumped out to an early 1-0 advantage in the first inning and never looked back. The Eagles added three runs in the second and four runs in the fourth to secure an 8-0 mercy rule victory. Senior Kelly Powe (Naples, Fla./Rollins College) was dominant on the mound for the Eagles, pitching a complete game shutout for her 15th win of the season. She surrendered just three hits and struck out nine batters in five innings of work. Senior Ashley Cecil (Naples, Fla./University of Central Florida) sparked Florida Gulf Coast with a 2-for-3 performance at the plate, including a triple. She scored three runs and stole two bases. Sophomore Jessica Rouse (Jacksonville, Fla./Stanton Prep) also went 2-for-3 with an RBI and a run scored. Senior Blaire Toleman (Lehigh Acres, Fla./Wingate University) added two RBI.
Sophomore Michelle McConnell (Elora, Ontario/Centre Wellington), senior Jessica Heaney (Greenport, N.Y./Greenport) and freshman Taylor Kenyon (Bennington, Vt./Mt. Anthony) picked up singles for Franklin Pierce. Cecil led off the bottom of the first inning with a triple to the left-center field gap and scored on a Toleman single up the middle. The Eagles notched three more runs in the second inning. Sophomore Lauren Donnelly (Jacksonville, Fla./Jacksonville University) scored on a single by freshman Alisha Boyd (Naples, Fla./Gulf Coast), and Toleman recorded her second RBI on a sacrifice fly scoring Cecil.
Rouse and freshman Hilary Johnson (Fort Myers, Fla./Bishop Verot)
knocked in runs in a four-run fourth frame for Florida Gulf Coast, and
the Eagles blanked Franklin Pierce in the top of the fifth inning to end
the game.
Batteries: WP:
Powe (15-4) Pitching was the story for the Eagles again in game two. Junior Amanda Bechtoldt (New Baden, Ill./Belmont-Abbey College) tossed a complete game, one-hit shutout for her fifth win of the season. Toleman continued her hot day at the plate hitting 2-for-2 with an RBI, while Cecil added two more stolen bases and a run scored. Florida Gulf Coast got on the board in the bottom of the second inning, when Cecil scored on a single up the middle by Toleman. The Eagles scored the games only other run in the fifth inning, as sophomore Kate Fishburn (Fort Myers, Fla./Cyress Lake) walked with the bases loaded to plate junior Natasha Meyer (Coral Springs, Fla./Taravella), who had doubled down the left field line to start the inning.
Freshman Lindsay Knapp (Elmira,
N.Y./Notre Dame) was a bright spot for the Ravens. In her first
collegiate start on the mound, she allowed just four hits and two runs
in six innings of work. She also connected for the Ravens lone hit of
the game, a single through the left side in the top of the seventh
inning.
Batteries: WP:
Bechtoldt (5-3) Franklin Pierce (0-2) opens up their Gene Cusic Collegiate Classic slate tomorrow with games versus Hillsdale College and Plymouth State University at 9 a.m. and 11 a.m. respectively. Florida Gulf Coast (20-10) will travel to Nova Southeastern for a doubleheader beginning at 5:00 p.m. |
