UMass
Lowell Sweeps Franklin Pierce RINDGE,
N.H. (May 2, 2005)
– The Franklin Pierce softball team suffered a doubleheader sweep
versus UMass Lowell today in Northeast-10 Conference action in Rindge,
N.H. The River Hawks used a late inning surge to defeat the Ravens 13-3
in the first game, and rallied for a comeback 8-6 victory in the
nightcap. In
game one, UMass Lowell pounded out 17 hits and scored nine runs over the
final two innings. They won their eighth consecutive contest despite
committing four errors. The
River Hawks struck early, scoring a pair of runs in the top of the
first. Junior Lisa Bunkartas (Plaistow, N.H.) and
sophomore Kristen Mahoney (Burlington, Mass.) each
delivered two-out RBI singles in the inning. Franklin
Pierce answered with two runs in the bottom of the inning. Freshman Jenna
Giardina (Pittsfield, Mass./Taconic) doubled to start the inning
and scored on a Colleen Varone (Holliston, Mass./Holliston)
sacrifice fly. Classmate Taylor Kenyon (Bennington, Vt./Mt.
Anthony) took advantage of a UMass Lowell error to score the
equalizer. Sophomore
Laurie Tanguay (Lowell, Mass.) scored a run in the second
and Bunkatas added an RBI single in the third, giving the River Hawks a
4-2 advantage. The
Ravens cut the lead to 4-3 in the bottom of the third, when freshman Lindsay
Knapp (Elmira, N.Y./Notre Dame) doubled to left field to score
Varone, who had led off with a single. Franklin Pierce failed to get any closer though, as UMass Lowell exploded for five runs in the sixth and four more in the seventh. Seniors Mary Dank (Webster, N.Y.) and Sara Farias (Pittsfield, Mass.), along with Tanguay and Bunkartas each registered run-scoring hits in both stanzas, as UMass Lowell cruised to a 13-3 victory. Bunkartas hit a perfect 5-for-5 at the plate with four RBI to lead the River Hawks offensive attack. Farias went 2-for-4 with a double, a triple, four runs scored and two RBI, while Dank posted two hits, two RBI and a run. Tanguay finished the day with a single, a double, three runs scored, two RBI and a pair of stolen bases. Varone led the Ravens with a 2-for-3 performance at the plate, including a double, an RBI and a run scored. Knapp had a double and an RBI, while Giardina and Kenyon collected one hit and one run apiece. Senior Tabitha Hebert (Lowell, Mass.) went the distance on the mound for UMass Lowell. She struck out seven and allowed just one earned run on six hits. Knapp took the loss for Franklin Pierce. Batteries: WP:
Hebert (12-5)
In
the nightcap, UMass Lowell took advantage of six Raven errors to win
their ninth consecutive game. Franklin Pierce jumped out to a 4-0 edge
in the first inning. Sophomore Kamla Taylor (Sugarland,
Texas/Kempner) led off with a walk. She advanced to second on a
Kenyon groundout a scored on a Varone single. Varone stole second and
scored on a Knapp double to right field, and sophomore Michelle
McConnell (Elora, Ontario/Centre Wellington) followed with a
single to plate Knapp. Freshman Becky Aalto (Hubbardston,
Mass./Gardner) pinch-ran for McConnell and scored on classmate Ariana
Massimilla’s (Littleton, N.H./Lin-Wood) double to right field. UMass
Lowell answered with a pair of runs in the top of the second and added
another in the third. They took a 6-4 lead with three runs in the fourth
frame. Junior Ashley Stoodley (Salem, N.H.) tied the
contest with an RBI double, and Farias blasted a two-run double to give
the River Hawks their first lead of the game. They padded their lead
with a pair of runs in the fifth. The
Ravens plated two runs in the bottom of the sixth stanza, but it was not
enough, as UMass Lowell held on for the 8-6 victory. Mahoney picked up
her 13th victory of the season. She allowed four earned runs
on six hits in five innings pitched. Senior captain Courtney
Lemoie (Lincoln, R.I./Lincoln) took the loss on the mound for
the Ravens. Farias
went 2-for-4 with a pair of doubles, two RBI and a run scored in the
game. Sophomore Vikki Guido (Winchester, Mass.) had two
hits and two runs, while Stoodley was 3-for-4 with a double, two runs, a
pair of stolen bases and an RBI. Varone
was 2-for-4 with an RBI, a stolen base and a run scored for Franklin
Pierce. Knapp and McConnell each had one hit, one run and one RBI, while
sophomore Haley Wile (East Bridgewater, Mass./East Bridgewater)
added a pair of singles and an RBI. Batteries: WP:
Mahoney (13-4)
Franklin Pierce (9-25, 7-15 NE-10) will return to action tomorrow, when they host Merrimack College for a Northeast-10 Conference doubleheader beginning at 1:00 p.m. UMass Lowell (24-9, 21-5) has clinched a spot in the Conference Tournament, which will begin on Friday. |
