Jacobs records 400th career strikeout

Game One Box Score
Game Two Box Score

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (April 5, 2009) – Fifth-year third baseman Tara DeMontier (Amesbury, Mass./Amesbury) recorded three hits, drove in a pair of runs and scored twice on Sunday afternoon to lead American International to a sweep of the Franklin Pierce University softball team in a Northeast-10 Conference Doubleheader at Groff Field. AIC won the first game, 2-1, and took the second game, 5-0. Junior catcher Kristen Tracy (Putnam Valley, N.Y./Walter Panas) drove in the only run of the day for Franklin Pierce.

In the first game, American International scored both of its runs in the bottom of the third inning. Sophomore catcher Becky Dion (Raynham, Mass./Bridgewater-Raynham) led off and struck out, but reached first when the ball got away from Tracy behind the plate. Dion moved to second on a sacrifice bunt and later scored when senior shortstop Deanna Zanetti (Hampden, Mass./Minnechaug Regional) drove an RBI double to left field. Zanetti then came around to score when senior first baseman Kellie Brown (Gill, Mass./Turners Falls) reached on an error by the shortstop.

The Ravens cut the lead in half with a run in the top of the fourth inning, but could not tie the game and went on to lose 2-1. In the fourth, senior designated player Elaine Matthews (Roslindale, Mass./Archbishop Williams) reached first on a one-out single, moved to second on a groundout and scored on a double to left field by Tracy.

Senior pitcher Courtney Jacobs (Fitchburg, Mass./Fitchburg) threw a complete game in the circle and took the loss (2-7) in the first game for Franklin Pierce. Over six innings, she gave up two unearned runs on seven hits, walked one and struck out eight.

Jacobs' final strikeout of the afternoon was the 400th of her career at Franklin Pierce. She has recorded more than twice as many strikeouts in her career as any other Raven, as Kara Hofsaes is second in the record books with 186 strikeouts between 1995 and 1998.

Freshman Kristen Dolan (Norwood, Mass./Norwood) went the distance to pick up the win (6-4) for American International. In seven innings in the circle, she surrendered one run on three hits, did not issue a walk and struck out nine.

In the second game, AIC opened the scoring with a pair of runs in the bottom of the second inning. DeMontier led off, knocked a single through the left side and moved to second when freshman designated player Sarah Calgreen (Stratford, Conn./Bunnell) reached after hitting a ground ball that was mishandled by the second baseman. After a sacrifice bunt moved the runners to second and third, DeMontier scored and Calgreen moved to third when senior pitcher Ashley Deegan (Durham, Conn./Coginchaug) hit a ground ball that the Franklin Pierce defense could not record an out on. Calgreen then scored to make it 2-0 on a single back through the middle by freshman center fielder Ashleigh St. Peter (Gill, Mass./Turner Falls).

The Yellow Jackets rounded out the scoring and created the 5-0 final with three more runs in the bottom of the third inning. Zanetti led off with a single and moved to second when Brown worked a walk. Both runners came home to score when DeMontier followed with a double to center field. Calgreen made it back-to-back doubles with an RBI two-bagger to center that drove in DeMontier.

Sophomore pitcher Kayla Johnson (Hudson, N.H./Alvirne) pitched the first three innings and took the loss (0-4) in the circle in the second game for Franklin Pierce. She surrendered five runs (four earned) on five hits, walked one and struck out one.

Deegan started, tossed five shutout innings, and earned the win (4-5) for American International. She gave up four hits, walked one, threw a wild pitch and struck out three.

The Ravens (4-14, 0-6 Northeast-10) return to the field on Wednesday, April 8, when they travel to Stonehill for a Northeast-10 Conference doubleheader. First pitch is scheduled for 3 p.m. at Fr. Gartland C.S.C. Field in Easton, Mass. The Ravens return home on April 10 for a doubleheader against Dowling at 2 p.m. American International (13-11, 5-5 Northeast-10) return to action on April 7 at Assumption.