Jacobs strikes out program-record 14 in first contest

Box Score vs. Queens
Box Score vs. Dominican

CLERMONT, Fla. (March 14, 2009) – Senior pitcher Courtney Jacobs (Fitchburg, Mass./Fitchburg) struck out a program-record 14 batters in the first game of the day, but the Franklin Pierce University softball team lost its first two games of the season on Saturday afternoon at the National Training Center. Franklin Pierce was defeated, 3-2, by Queens in nine innings before being shutout by Dominican, 6-0.

Jacobs was the star of the day for Franklin Pierce. The right-hander tossed all nine innings for the Ravens in the first contest of the day. She took the loss (0-1), but gave up just three runs on five hits while walking six and striking out 14.

Offensively, sophomore second baseman Emily Griffin (Leominster, Mass./Leominster) went 2-for-5 with a pair of singles in the loss to Queens, while junior catcher Kristen Tracy (Putnam Valley, N.Y./Walter Panas) clubbed an RBI double. Freshman Jessica Wiley (Cape Vincent, N.Y./Thousand Islands) recorded her first career hit in her first collegiate appearance and senior Jackie Prybella (Marshfield, Mass./Archbishop Williams) contributed a double to the attack.

Queens scored single runs in the first, seventh and ninth innings, while Franklin Pierce scored both of its runs in the bottom of the fourth.

In the game against Dominican, the Franklin Pierce offense managed just three singles while being held off the scoreboard. The base hits came from Prybella, Griffin and senior Stephanie Howard (Norwalk, Conn./Norwalk).

Sophomore pitcher Kayla Johnson (Hudson, N.H./Alvirne) started in the circle and took the loss (0-1) for Franklin Pierce in the second game. Over 4.2 innings, she gave up six runs (three earned) on four hits and walked six. Freshman Jessica Becker (Lowville, N.Y./Lowville Academy) pitched a perfect 1.1 innings of relief in her collegiate debut.

The Ravens (0-2, 0-0 Norteast-10) return to the field on Monday, March 16, with a pair of neutral-site, non-conference games at the National Training Center. The Ravens will take on Philadelphia at 9 a.m. before playing St. Thomas Aquinas at 11 a.m. Franklin Pierce’s first home games are a doubleheader scheduled for Sunday, March 29 against Southern New Hampshire at noon.