Ravens score once in the seventh to take game one, 5-4, then cruise to 8-1 win in nightcap

Boxscore Game One
Boxscore Game Two

WORCESTER, Mass. (April 22, 2008) - Franklin Pierce University earned its first sweep of 2008 with a pair of victories over Assumption College in a Northeast-10 Conference softball doubleheader on Tuesday afternoon at Marois Field. The Ravens took an early lead in game one and then scored once in the seventh inning to take a 5-4 win, and the visitors followed with an 8-1 victory in the second game to earn the sweep.

Junior Elaine Matthews (Roslindale, Mass./Archbishop Williams) was one of three Ravens to have three hits on the day, as she went 3-for-8 with two runs batted in and two runs scored. Freshman Emily Griffin (Leominster, Mass./Leominster) went 3-for-6, including two doubles to set a new school single-season record with 12, with a pair of walks and scored four runs, while juniors Courtney Jacobs (Fitchburg, Mass./Fitchburg) and Jackie Prybella (Marshfield, Mass./Marshfield) each hit home runs for the visitors. 

Franklin Pierce 5, Assumption 4 (Game One)

Franklin Pierce began and ended strong in the first game of the afternoon, as the team jumped out to 4-0 lead after a half-inning and then scored the game-winning run in the top of the seventh to win, 5-4.

Griffin was one of three Ravens with two hits, going 2-for-4 and scoring twice. Matthews also hit 2-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored, while junior Stephanie Howard (Norwalk, Conn./Norwalk) had two hits in three at-bats and drove in a pair of runs.

Griffin was once again a part of the Ravens' game-winning rally, as she led off the top of the seventh inning with a double to left-center field. After a Prybella ground out advanced her to third, Griffin came home on an RBI single by Matthews to make the score 5-4.

Franklin Pierce set the tone early with four unearned runs before Assumption got a chance to bat. The first three Ravens reached base to load the bases with no outs, and senior captain Kate Surgen (Southampton, Mass./Hampshire Regional) reached on an error by the shortstop to plate the game's first run. Howard then followed with a two-run single and sophomore Kiley Molinari (Meriden, Conn./Maloney) added an RBI single of her own to give the Ravens a 4-0 lead after a half-inning of play.

Assumption came back with four runs of its own in the bottom of the second inning, as the first four Greyhounds to the plate in the inning reached base, but freshman Kayla Johnson (Hudson, N.H./Alvirne) shut Assumption down for the rest of the afternoon.

Johnson (4-11) gave up four runs (three earned) on six hits in a complete-game, seven-inning effort, striking out four while walking only one. Senior Lauren Symonick (Northbridge, Mass./ Northbridge) took the loss (7-11) for Assumption, despite giving up just one earned run (five overall) on nine hits in seven innings.

Franklin Pierce 8, Assumption 1 (Game Two)

Franklin Pierce had much less drama in the second game of the day, as the Ravens scored in each of the first four innings in cruising to an 8-1 victory.

Griffin went 1-for-2 with two walks and two runs scored, while Prybella had one hit but drove in three runs. Sophomore Kristen Tracy (Putnam Valley, N.Y./Walter Panas) also had two hits in three at-bats and scored once for the Ravens.

Jacobs pitched very well for Franklin Pierce, scattering nine hits and giving up only one earned run in seven innings to earn her fourth win of the season (4-12). The junior also helped herself out at the plate, going 2-for-3 with a home run, an RBI and a run scored.

After scoring one run in the first inning on an RBI double by Matthews, Franklin Pierce struck for four runs in the second inning to blow the game open early. Jacobs led off the inning with her first home run of the season to double the lead, and Prybella hit the big blow later in the frame with a three-run shot to left-center field on the first pitch of the at-bat. Prybella's first home run of the year gave the Ravens a 5-0 lead after two innings.

The Ravens tacked on one run in the third and two more in the fourth inning, giving Jacobs more than enough runs with which to work.

Franklin Pierce (8-30, 7-17 NE-10) will complete its six-game road trip on Thursday evening, when the Ravens travel to the College of Saint Rose for a pair of conference matchups beginning at 5 p.m. Assumption (10-20, 6-12 NE-10) continues its six-game home stand tomorrow at 3:30 p.m. against Saint Michael's College.