Franklin Pierce
Splits on FORT MYERS, Fla. (March 20, 2005) – The Franklin Pierce softball team narrowly defeated Hillsdale College, 6-5 today in their opening game of the Gene Cusic Collegiate Classic. Trailing 4-3 in the bottom of the sixth inning, sophomore Colleen Varone (Holliston, Mass./Holliston) connected for a three-run homerun to propel the Ravens to their first victory of the season. Franklin Pierce got solid production out of freshman Taylor Kenyon (Bennington, Vt./Mt. Anthony), who went 2-for-3 at the plate, with a double and a triple. Classmates Ariana Massimilla (Littleton, N.H./Lin-Wood) and Kamla Taylor (Sugarland, Texas/Kempner) each chipped in with RBI hits, while sophomore Michelle McConnell (Elora, Ontario/Centre Wellington) added a pair of singles. Sophomore Jamie Meyers (Toledo, Ohio/Northview) smacked a homerun, while senior Becky Fair (Tecumseh, Mich./Clinton) hit 2-for-4 and scored two runs to lead Hillsdale.
Meyers gave the Chargers a 4-1 advantage with her two-run blast in the top of the fifth inning, but Taylor brought the Ravens to within a run in the bottom of the inning, as she delivered a pinch-hit RBI double. Franklin Pierce rallied for three runs in the sixth inning to take the lead. Sophomore Nicole Burk (Madison, Conn./Daniel Hand) led the frame off with a pinch-hit double, and freshman Jenna Giardina (Pittsfield, Mass./Taconic) singled to advance Burk to third base. Varone followed with her homer, giving the Ravens a 6-4 edge. Hillsdale scored a run to make things interesting in the top of the seventh inning, but Franklin Pierce held on for the 6-5 win. Senior Courtney Lemoie (Lincoln, R.I./Lincoln) tossed a complete game for the Ravens and picked up the win. Sophomore Amy Whaley (St. Clair Shores, Mich./Regina) also went the distance but took the loss for Hillsdale.
Batteries:
WP:
Lemoie (1-0) Franklin Pierce suffered a 5-3 loss to Plymouth State University in their second contest of the day. The Ravens out-hit the Panthers twelve to ten but stranded ten runners in the game. Varone continued her hot day at the plate, posting a 3-for-4 performance. Freshman Lindsay Knapp (Elmira, N.Y./Notre Dame) delivered a two-run triple, while Giardina collected two singles. Plymouth State opened the scoring in the top of the second inning, when freshman Ashley Fleming (Farmington, Conn./Farmington) singled to score sophomore Colleen Courtney (Norwood, Mass./Norwood), who had doubled. The Panthers took a 2-0 led in the fourth inning. Freshman Devin Caswell (Wilton, N.H./Wilton-Lyndeborough) singled and advanced to third on senior Anna Godard’s (Florence, Mass./Northampton) single. She then scored on freshman Kristi Curry’s (Nottingham, N.H./Dover) sacrifice fly. Plymouth State notched three more runs in the top of the sixth inning to extend its advantage to 5-0. Courtney reached on an error and scored on a Curry triple. Fleming then singled in Curry and scored on junior Jess Fortin’s (Chester, N.H./Pinkerton Academy) single. The Ravens answered with three runs of their own in the bottom of the inning to cut the lead to 5-3. Varone and McConnell each singled and scored on Knapp’s triple. Freshman Kate Surgen (Southampton, Mass./Hampshire Regional) followed with a single to plate Knapp. Junior Rose Eaton (Concord, N.H./Concord) picked up the win on the mound for the Panthers. She tossed 61/3 innings before giving way to senior Kim Jeffs (Stoughton, MA/Stoughton). Jeffs closed the door on the Ravens, striking out the final two batters of the game to pick up the save. Senior Amy Torla (Haverhill, Mass./Haverhill) got the start for Franklin Pierce and took the loss. She struck out four batters in 52/3 innings pitched. Freshman Becky Aalto (Hubbardston, Mass./Gardner) surrendered one hit in the final 11/3 innings for the Ravens.
Batteries:
WP:
Eaton Franklin Pierce (1-3)
returns to action tomorrow with games versus Albright College and Palm
Beach Atlantic University at 4 p.m. and 6 p.m. respectively. |
