Franklin Pierce Splits With Southern New Hampshire

MANCHESTER, N.H. (April 21, 2005) – The Franklin Pierce softball team split a doubleheader with Southern New Hampshire University in Northeast-10 Conference action this afternoon. After dropping game one 5-0, the Ravens battled back to blank the Penmen 4-0 in the nightcap.

            Southern New Hampshire out-hit Franklin Pierce 11-5 in game one. They jumped out to a 1-0 advantage in the bottom of the second inning, when freshman Mary Bradford (Big Bear, Calif./Big Bear) rapped a double to right field scoring junior Lindsey Yeomans (Durham, Conn./Coginchaug Regional), who had singled and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt. Junior Nikki Cote (Bristol, R.I./LaSalle Academy) scored on freshman Laurie Boland’s (Worcester, Mass./Worcester Academy) single in the third frame, giving the Penmen a 2-0 lead.            

The hosts plated three runs in the fifth to ice the game. Sophomore Tara Moriarty (Randolph, Mass./Randolph) highlighted the inning with a two-run triple. She scored the final run of the contest on a single by sophomore Felicia Brum (Briantree, Mass./Blue Hills Regional).

            Moriarty went 2-for-3 in the game with a pair of RBI and a run scored. Boland hit 2-for-3 with an RBI and a run, while Cote was 2-for-3 with a pair of runs.

            Freshman Taylor Kenyon (Bennington, Vt./Mt. Anthony) led the way for Franklin Pierce, as she went 2-for-3 at the plate. Classmate Ariana Massimilla (Littleton, N.H./Lin-Wood), along with sophomores Michelle McConnell (Elora, Ontario/Centre Wellington) and Nicole Burk (Madison, Conn./Daniel Hand) also had hits for the Ravens.

            Bradford was dominant on the mound for the Penmen, scattering five hits and striking out seven in a complete game shutout. Senior Amy Torla (Haverhill, Mass./Haverhill) took the loss for the visitors.           

Batteries:
FPC: Torla and Varone
SNH: Bradford and Brum

Win: Bradford (4-9)
Loss: Torla (3-5)
Save: None
HR: None

Southern New Hampshire 5, Franklin Pierce 0

 Game Statistics

Franklin Pierce racked up three runs in the third inning en route to a 4-0 victory over the Penmen in the nightcap. Sophomore Kamla Taylor (Sugarland, Texas/Kempner) doubled to left field to lead things off. She advanced to third base on a Burk sacrifice bunt, and freshman Kate Surgen (Southampton, Mass./Hampshire Regional) knocked her in with a single to right field. The Ravens took advantage of three Southern New Hampshire errors to score two more runs in the stanza. They added an insurance run in the top of the sixth to seal the deal.

Surgen finished the game with a hit, an RBI and a run scored, while Taylor recorded a double and scored a run. Freshman Jenna Giardina (Pittsfield, Mass./Taconic) clubbed a two-bagger, while McConnell, Kenyon and freshman Lindsay Knapp (Elmira, N.Y./Notre Dame) added singles for the visitors.

Brum led the Penmen offense with a 2-for-3 performance at the plate. Yeomans and sophomore Sandra Lawton (Woburn, Mass./Woburn) also had hits in the contest.

Knapp was superb on the mound, scattering four hits and striking out seven in a complete game shutout. She lowered her ERA to 0.64 and picked up her first collegiate victory. Sophomore Ashley Smith (Franklin, N.H./Franklin) took the loss for Southern New Hampshire.

Batteries:
FPC: Knapp and Varone
SNH: Smith, Bradford and Murphy

Win: Knapp (1-5)
Loss: Smith (4-9)
Save: None
HR: None

Franklin Pierce 4, Southern New Hampshire 0

Franklin Pierce (8-21, 6-11 NE-10) wraps up its seven-game roadtrip with a Northeast-10 Conference doubleheader at Pace University on Saturday at noon. Southern New Hampshire (9-21, 8-12 NE-10) hosts Assumption College for a league twinbill at noon on Saturday.

Game Statistics