Falcons eke out 3-2 eight-inning win, then cruise to a 7-0 victory to complete sweep

Boxscore Game One
Boxscore Game Two

RINDGE, N.H. (April 17, 2008) – Bentley College used solid pitching and timely hitting to take a pair of games from Franklin Pierce University in a Northeast-10 Conference softball doubleheader at the Franklin Pierce Softball Field on Thursday afternoon. Bentley earned a 3-2 decision in eight innings to take the first game, then followed with a 7-0 victory in game two in the Ravens’ home opener.

Bentley junior Ashley DeRosa (Wethersfield, Conn./Wethersfield) had two hits in six at-bats, driving in three runs and scoring once, while freshman Christine D’Amico (Shrewsbury, Mass./Shrewsbury) went 3-for-7 with three runs scored.

Sophomore Kristen Tracy (Putnam Valley, N.Y./Walter Panas) and freshman Emily Griffin (Leominster, Mass./Leominster) each had two hits on the day for the Ravens, with Griffin adding a team-high two RBI.


Bentley 3, Franklin Pierce 2 -- 8 Innings (Game One)

The teams played very evenly in the first game of the afternoon, but Bentley came back from an early 2-0 deficit to score two runs in the third and then won the game with a run in the eighth inning.

Bentley plated the game-winning run in the eighth inning thanks to a leadoff walk to D’Amico. After a failed sacrifice bunt attempt gave the Ravens an out, DeRosa hit a deep drive to right center that just eluded the glove of junior centerfielder Jackie Prybella (Marshfield, Mass./Marshfield) and ran to the wall. Sophomore Nicole Spinale (Peabody, Mass./Peabody), pinch-running for D’Amico, just barely beat Prybella’s relay throw to the plate to score the go-ahead run.

Franklin Pierce had the go-ahead run on second base with one out in the seventh inning and also had a runner on second with one out in the eighth, but in neither situation could the Ravens get a key hit to drive home a run.

Franklin Pierce took an early lead in the second inning, scoring twice with two outs. Junior Elaine Matthews (Roslindale, Mass./Archbishop Williams) led off with a single and senior Nicole Leary (Hanover, Mass./Hanover) walked before Griffin hit a smash over the head of the left fielder to plate both runners.

Senior Diane Morrison (Massapequa, N.Y./Plainedge) pitched well for Bentley to earn the win (4-6), giving up two runs on eight hits in eight innings. Franklin Pierce freshman Kayla Johnson (Hudson, N.H./Alvirne) also went the distance, ceding only one earned run and four hits in taking the tough-luck loss (3-9).


Bentley 7, Franklin Pierce 0 (Game Two)

The Raven bats went silent in the second game, as freshman Kelsey Vella (Hampden, Mass./Minnechaug Regional) scattered only two hits in seven shutout innings to lead the Falcons to a 7-0 win.

Vella (6-3) struck out two and walked two in her complete-game outing, giving up one single in the third and fifth innings and allowing only one Raven runner to reach third base. Junior Courtney Jacobs (Fitchburg, Mass./Fitchburg) took the loss (2-11) for Franklin Pierce, giving up eight hits and six earned runs in five-plus innings of work, striking out four and walking two.

Bentley scored in each of the final four innings to close out the day. The team caught a break in scoring its first run in the fourth inning, as a shot to second base by D’Amico hit the dirt and rocketed off the shoulder of Matthews for a leadoff single. D’Amico eventually came around to score on a fielder’s choice to give the Falcons a 1-0 lead.

The visitors then broke the game open with four runs in the fifth inning. DeRosa had the big blow of the frame, drilling a two-out, two-run triple to left center, and was driven in on a single by Maitlyn Kraft (New Braunfels, Texas/St. Mary’s Hall) to complete the scoring and give Bentley a 5-0 lead.

Franklin Pierce (5-27, 4-14 NE-10) will complete its six-game homestand on Saturday afternoon, when the Ravens host Pace University at the Franklin Pierce Softball Field for two games beginning at noon. Bentley (16-14, 9-5 NE-10) travels to Southern Connecticut State University for two games on Saturday at 1 p.m.