Ravens battle but fall, 4-0 and 4-2, to the Panthers

Boxscore Game One
Boxscore Game Two

LEOMINSTER, Mass. (April 10, 2008) – Franklin Pierce University held the Adelphi University softball team to eight runs in two games, but the Ravens could not earn a victory in the Panthers’ doubleheader sweep on Thursday afternoon at Lassie League Field. Adelphi shut out Franklin Pierce in the first game, 4-0, and held on for a 4-2 win in the back end of the twinbill.

Junior Kristen Brennan (Staten Island, N.Y./St. Joseph-by-the-Sea) had three hits in six at-bats for Adelphi and scored two runs to lead the visitors. Classmate Jessica Vogt (Lindenhurst, N.Y./Lindenhurst) went 2-for-6 with a triple, two runs batted in and a run scored, while senior Dely Francisco (Haverstraw, N.Y./North Rockland) went 2-for-8 with a home run and two runs scored.

Three Ravens had two hits on the afternoon, led by the 2-for-5 efforts from junior Jackie Prybella (Marshfield, Mass./Marshfield) and freshman Emily Griffin (Leominster, Mass./Leominster), each of whom also drove in a run. Junior Elaine Matthews (Roslindale, Mass./Archbishop Williams) also went 2-for-6 for Franklin Pierce.


Adelphi 4, Franklin Pierce 0

Senior Julie Schaper (Warwick, N.Y./Chapel Field) scattered three hits and struck out 15 batters in seven innings as the visiting Panthers took a 4-0 decision from Franklin Pierce in the front end of the doubleheader.

Freshman Stephanie Byster (Jackson, N.J./ Jackson Memorial) went 1-for-3 with two RBI and Francisco hit a solo home run to lead the Panthers, while three Ravens recorded one hit each.

Senior Becky Aalto (Hubbardston, Mass./Gardner) pitched well for Franklin Pierce in a losing effort, tossing her first complete game of the year. The senior (0-3) gave up four earned runs on seven hits, striking out two and walking two in seven innings.

Adelphi struck for one run in the second inning and three in the third to take the win. Vogt began the second inning with a triple, then scored soon after on an RBI single from Angela Martin (Wantagh, N.Y./MacArthur). The team scored three times in the third, highlighted by a leadoff home run from Francisco and a two-run single from Byster, to put distance between the two squads.

The Ravens’ best chance to score came in the third frame. Senior Nicole Leary (Hanover, Mass./Hanover) reached on an error and junior Jen Ryan (Winthrop, Mass./Winthrop) walked, and the runners were moved up on an illegal pitch by Schaper. However, Prybella struck out swinging and senior captain Kate Surgen (Southampton, Mass./Hampshire Regional) popped up to third to end the threat.


Adelphi 4, Franklin Pierce 2

Franklin Pierce scored twice in game two of the doubleheader, but Adelphi scored three times in the fifth inning to break a 1-1 tie and held on for the 4-2 win and the twinbill sweep.

Vogt had one hit and two RBI in three at-bats while Brennan had a hit, scored a run and also drew a pair of walks for Adelphi. Griffin had two hits in three at-bats and drove in a run to lead the home team, while Prybella went 1-for-3 with an RBI and freshman Erin Clark (Fort Ann, N.Y./Fort Ann) had a hit and scored twice.

Adelphi jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the third inning, as Francisco hit a one-out single to left and advanced to third on a single by Brennan before the Panthers executed a double steal to allow Francisco to cross the plate. Franklin Pierce came back with a run of its own in the bottom of the frame, however, as Clark reached on a fielder’s choice and eventually came home on an RBI single by Prybella.

Adelphi regained the lead for good in the fifth inning, scoring three times. A sacrifice fly with the bases loaded by Diana DiPiano (Valley Stream, N.Y./Valley Stream South) scored Schaper for the go-ahead run, and Vogt followed with a two-run single for the eventual game-winning runs. Franklin Pierce got one back in the bottom of the inning on an RBI triple from Griffin, but the Ravens could get no closer the rest of the way.

Senior Samantha Tilton (Islip, N.Y./Islip) allowed two runs on five hits in five innings of work to earn the win (5-1) for Adelphi, while Leighann Bell (East Islip, N.Y./East Islip) pitched two scoreless innings to earn her first save. Raven junior Courtney Jacobs (Fitchburg, Mass./Fitchburg) took the loss (1-9), ceding four runs on eight hits in a complete-game, seven-inning effort.

Franklin Pierce (3-21, 2-8 NE-10) returns to Northeast-10 Conference play on Sunday with a doubleheader at Le Moyne College beginning at noon. Adelphi (22-14, 6-2 ECC) takes on the University of Massachusetts Lowell tomorrow with a pair of games starting at 3 p.m.