Pitching Highlights Afternoon As Softball Splits With Merrimack
Jacobs, Johnson team to allow just three runs in 15 innings
Game One Box
Score
Game Two Box
Score
Courtney Jacobs allowed just one earned run on six hits and struck
out six to pick up a win against Merrimack on Thursday
afternoon.
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RINDGE, N.H. (April 16, 2009) –
Senior pitcher Courtney Jacobs
(Fitchburg, Mass./Fitchburg) tossed a six-hitter, allowed
just two runs (one earned) and struck out six on Thursday afternoon
to lead the Franklin Pierce University softball team to a 4-2
victory in the first game of a Northeast-10 Conference doubleheader
against Merrimack at Franklin Pierce Softball Field. Merrimack won
the second game, 1-0, on the strength of a home run in the eighth
inning by sophomore third baseman Kelsey Ellis (Vancouver, British
Columbia).
Franklin Pierce opened the scoring with a pair of runs in the
bottom of the third inning. With one out, freshman center fielder
Jayme Bilafer (Concord,
Mass./Concord-Carlisle) grounded a single up the middle, but
was subsequently erased at second base as senior designated player
Elaine Matthews (Roslindale,
Mass./Archbishop Williams) reached on a fielder’s
choice. Matthews came all the way around from first to score when
senior left fielder Jackie
Prybella (Marshfield, Mass./Marshfield) lined a double over
the head of the Merrimack right fielder. Prybella would later score
as freshman third baseman Meaghan
O’Neal (Littleton, Mass./Littleton) reached when the
shortstop dropped a pop-up.
Merrimack cut the deficit in half with an unearned run in the top
of the fourth inning. Ellis led off with a single to left field and
ended up on second base as the ball escaped Prybella in left field.
Ellis scored when senior first baseman Jill Gagnon (Manchester,
N.H./Manchester) followed with a double over third base and down
the left-field line.
Franklin Pierce extended the lead to 4-1 with two runs in the
bottom of the fifth inning. Bilafer led off with a double down the
left-field line. From there, the sun would wreak havoc with the
right fielder. Two batters later, Prybella lifted a fly ball to
straightaway right that was lost in the sun and turned into an RBI
double as Bilafer scored. Senior shortstop Stephanie Howard (Norwalk,
Conn./Norwalk) followed with a sun-induced double of her own
closer to the right-field line to drive home Prybella.
Merrimack picked up a run in the top of the seventh inning to
create the 4-2 final. Freshman Kasey Smith (Abbotsford, British
Columbia) pinch-hit and led off with a double into the right-center
field gap before being lifted for a pinch runner, junior Emily
Cummings (Andover, Mass./Andover). Cummings stole third and scored
on an RBI groundout by sophomore catcher Kara Melillo (North
Andover, Mass./North Andover).
Stephanie Howard drove in a run with a double against Merrimack on
Thursday afternoon.
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Jacobs tossed a six-hitter to pick
up the win (3-11) in the circle in the first game for Franklin
Pierce. Over seven innings, she gave up two runs (one earned),
walked one, threw a wild pitch and struck out six.
Senior Vicky Cotter (Hampton, N.H./Winnacunnet) started in the
circle and took the loss (6-5) for Merrimack. Over 4.1 innings, she
surrendered four runs (three earned) on five hits, walked four and
struck out two.
Pitching carried the day in the second game of the day, as neither
team could find a run and each recorded just six hits through seven
innings. However, in the top of the eighth inning, Merrimack broke
through for the game’s only run Ellis lined a one-out solo
home run, her fifth of the season, to straightaway center
field.
Sophomore pitcher Kayla Johnson
(Hudson, N.H./Alvirne) went the distance in the circle for
Franklin Pierce in the second game. Over eight innings, she
surrendered one run on eight hits, did not issue a walk and struck
out six, but was saddled with the loss (0-7).
Junior Atlee Cahill (Gloucester, Mass./Gloucester) fired a shutout
on the rubber for Merrimack. She allowed just six hits, walked one,
threw a wild pitch and did not tally a strikeout.
The Ravens (5-23, 1-13 Northeast-10) return to the field on
Saturday, April 18, when they travel to Le Moyne for a Northeast-10
Conference doubleheader. First pitch is scheduled for noon at
Thomas J. Niland Athletic Complex in Syracuse, N.Y. Franklin Pierce
next plays at home on April 21 against Southern Connecticut State
at 3 p.m. Merrimack (21-13, 14-6 Northeast-10) returns to action on
April 18 at home against Saint Anselm.