Franklin Pierce Splits 
Doubleheader With Bentley
Ravens win game one 4-3 before falling 1-0 in nightcap

WALTHAM, Mass. (April 18, 2005) – The Franklin Pierce softball team picked up a doubleheader split with Bentley College this afternoon in Northeast-10 Conference action in Waltham, Mass. The Ravens edged the Falcons 4-3 in the first game of the twinbill before falling 1-0 in the nightcap.

            In game one, Franklin Pierce scored two runs in the second inning to take an early 2-0 lead. Sophomore Michelle McConnell (Elora, Ontario/Centre Wellington) led off with a walk, and freshman Lindsay Knapp (Elmira, N.Y./Notre Dame) knocked her in with a triple to center field.  Classmate Taylor Kenyon (Bennington, Vt./Mt. Anthony) followed with a single to plate Knapp.

            Knapp gave the Ravens a 3-0 edge in the fifth inning, when she singled in sophomore Colleen Varone (Holliston, Mass./Holliston), who had singled and reached second on a fielder’s choice. Knapp went 2-for-4 at the plate with a pair of RBI and a run scored.

Bentley broke through with three runs in the bottom of the sixth inning to knot the score at three. Senior Lisa Lukiewski (Westford, Mass./Westford Academy) singled to center to start the rally. She advanced to third on a Lisa Tisbert (Andover, Mass./Andover) single and stole home to get the Falcons on the board. Senior Jennifer Picardo (Medford, Mass./Medford) singled up the middle to put runners on first and second, and freshman Diane Morrison (Massapequa, N.Y./Plainedge) tied the contest with a bases clearing double to left field.

            Lukiewski and Tisbert both went 2-for-4 with a run scored in the game, while Morrison was 1-for-3 with a pair of RBI. Freshman Leigh Cavanaugh (Cheshire, Conn./Chesire) added two hits for the Falcons.

            Franklin Pierce broke the tie with a run in the top of the seventh frame. Varone rapped a triple to right-center and scored the game-winning run on a McConnell grounder. She hit 2-for-4 in the game, with a pair of runs scored.

Senior captain Amy Torla (Haverhill, Mass./Haverhill) went the distance on the mound for the Ravens. She scattered nine hits and allowed three earned runs en route to the victory. Sophomore Maureen McGinn (St. Albans, Vt./Bellows Free Academy) took the loss for Bentley despite a complete game effort.

Batteries:
FPC: Torla and Varone
BEN: McGinn and Picardo

Win: Torla (3-4)
Loss: McGinn (2-4)
Save: None
HR: None

Franklin Pierce 4, Bentley 3

 Game Statistics

Bentley picked up a 1-0 victory in the nightcap. They scored the lone run of the game in the bottom of the seventh inning, when freshman Jennifer Moody (Mannsville, N.Y./Sandy Creek) doubled down the left field line to plate sophomore Meghan Hart (North Brookfield, Mass./Quabbin Regional).

The teams combined for just five hits. Morrison and sophomore Allison Ciummei (Acton, Mass./Acton-Boxborough) notched hits for the Falcons, while Varone and classmate Nicole Burk (Madison, Conn./Daniel Hand) got hits for the Ravens.

Franklin Pierce had opportunities to score in both the fourth and seventh innings. Varone was stranded on third base after a triple in the fourth frame, while Torla was left on third in the seventh stanza.

Morrison tossed a complete game, two-hit shutout on the mound for Bentley. Knapp was the hard luck loser for the Ravens. She surrendered just one earned run on three hits in a complete game effort.

Batteries:
FPC: Knapp and Varone
BEN: Morrison and Picardo

Win: Morrison (2-8)
Loss: Knapp (0-5)
Save: None
HR: None

Bentley 1, Franklin Pierce 0

Franklin Pierce (7-19, 5-9 NE-10) travels to Saint Michael’s for a Northeast-10 Conference twinbill on Wednesday at 3:30 p.m. Bentley (5-21, 3-13 NE-10) will also be in action on Wednesday at 3:30 p.m., when they visit Saint Anselm for a league doubleheader

Game Statistics