Howard drives in four runs for Ravens

Game One Box Score
Game Two Box Score

LEOMINSTER, Mass. (April 2, 2009) – Junior left fielder Moira McCabe (Brookline, N.H./Bishop Guertin) drove home the winning run in the top of the ninth inning on Thursday afternoon to lead Saint Anselm to a 4-3 victory over the Franklin Pierce University softball team in the second game of a Northeast-10 Conference doubleheader at Lassie League Field. Saint Anselm also won the first game of the day, 6-3. Senior shortstop Stephanie Howard (Norwalk, Conn./Norwalk) went 2-for-5 with a home run and drove in four runs for the Ravens on the afternoon.

In the first game, Saint Anselm opened the scoring with a run in the top of the third inning. Senior catcher Brittany Birch (Bradford, Mass./Haverhill) led off with an infield single to shortstop, moved to second on a groundout and moved to third on another groundout. Freshman first baseman Morgan Murphy (Orange, Mass./R.C. Mahar Regional) followed with a single to left-center field to drive home the run.

The Hawks added a run in the top of the fourth to extend the lead to 2-0. With one out, sophomore shortstop Liz Trafton (Berwick, Maine/Seacoast Christian School) launched a solo home run to left field.

Franklin Pierce briefly tied the game with a pair of runs in the bottom half of the fourth. Senior designated player Elaine Matthews (Roslindale, Mass./Archbishop Williams) led off with a single through the right side and moved to second on an infield single off the pitcher’s glove by sophomore second baseman Emily Griffin (Leominster, Mass./Leominster). After the runners moved to second and third on a sacrifice bunt, Howard knocked a single back through the middle to drive home Matthews and move Griffin to third. Griffin in turn scored to make it 2-2 while Howard was caught in a rundown between first and second in a stolen base attempt.

Saint Anselm reclaimed the lead for good with three runs in the top of the fifth inning. Sophomore right fielder Raylyn Glavin (Saugus, Mass./Saugus) led off and ended up on second base after both a fielding and a throwing error by the pitcher. Two batters later, Murphy singled through the right side to move Glavin to third and sophomore left fielder Kayla McEachern (Stoneham, Mass./Stoneham) then reached on an infield single to load the bases. Sophomore third baseman Jaclyn Giannino (Beverly, Mass./Bishop Fenwick) followed with a single through the left side to drive home Glavin and keep the bases loaded. Trafton then worked a walk to drive home Murphy and junior pitcher Megan Lemire (Worcester, Mass./St. Peter Marian) helped her own cause with a sacrifice fly to center field to give Saint Anselm a 5-2 lead.

Franklin Pierce got one run back in the bottom of the sixth inning to make it 5-3. Matthews led off, reached on an error by the second baseman, moved to second on a single to right field by Griffin, took third on a wild pitch and later scored when junior pinch hitter Kristen Tracy (Putnam Valley, N.Y./Walter Panas) bounced into an RBI fielder’s choice.

Saint Anselm created the 6-3 final in the top of the seventh inning when Murphy led off the inning and clubbed a solo home run to center field.

Freshman pitcher Jessica Wiley (Cape Vincent, N.Y./Thousand Islands) went the distance and took the loss (2-3) in the circle for Franklin Pierce. Over seven innings, she gave up six runs (three earned) on 12 hits, walked one, threw a wild pitch and struck out five.

Lemire threw a complete game to pick up the win for Saint Anselm. In seven innings, she gave up three runs (two earned) on five hits, walked one, hit a batter, threw a wild pitch and struck out three.

In the second game, Saint Anselm struck first with a pair of runs in the top of the first inning. With one out, senior center fielder Katherine Theodorou (Glen Clove, N.Y./St. Mary’s) reached on an infield single, stole second and came into score on a single just inside the left-field line by Trafton, who ended up on second base after the left fielder had trouble corralling the ball. Trafton then came around to score when senior first baseman Nicole Baginski (Beverly, Mass./Bishop Fenwick) grounded back to the pitcher but reached safely as the Franklin Pierce first baseman could not collect the throw.

The Hawks pushed the lead to 3-0 with a run in the top of the fourth inning. With one out, Baginski walked, moved to second on an infield single by Giannino and scored on a single back through the middle by McEachern.

Franklin Pierce got on the board with a run of its own in the bottom half of the fourth. Griffin led off with a single through the left side of the infield and moved to third on a double to left-center field by Tracy, who played the second game at catcher for the Ravens. Howard followed with a sacrifice fly to center field to plate Griffin from third.

The Ravens then tied it up two innings later with a pair of runs in the bottom of the sixth. With two outs, Tracy punched a single through the right side and Howard followed with the game-tying home run to left-center field. The two-run shot was the second of the season for Howard and drove in her third and fourth runs of the day.

Saint Anselm would eventually win the game with an unearned run in the top of the ninth inning. McEachern reached via error when her pop-up fell on the left side of the infield and was then lifted for freshman pinch runner Kat Scafidi (Hudson, N.H./Alvirne). Scafidi moved to second when junior second baseman Liz LeBrun (Rowley, Mass./Triton Regional) laid down a sacrifice bunt but reached first safely on a throwing error by the Tracy. McCabe followed with what would prove to be a game-winning single to center field to drive home Scafidi from third.

Senior pitcher Courtney Jacobs (Fitchburg, Mass./Fitchburg) threw a complete game and took the loss (2-6) in the circle for Franklin Pierce in the second game. Over nine innings, she gave up four runs (two earned) on nine hits, walked two and struck out 11.

Sophomore Brittnee O’Neill (Ashland, Mass./Ashland) went the distance to earn the win for Saint Anselm. Over nine innings, she gave up three runs on six hits, walked one and struck out four.

The Ravens (4-12, 0-4 Northeast-10) return to the field on Sunday, April 5, when they travel to American International for a Northeast-10 Conference doubleheader. First pitch is scheduled for 12 p.m. at Groff Field in Springfield, Mass. The Ravens return home on April 10 for a doubleheader against Dowling at 2 p.m. Saint Anselm (11-10-1, 3-2-1 Northeast-10) returns to action on April 4 at home against Stonehill.