Furtado hits game-winning, three-run double in second game

CLERMONT, Fla. (March 18, 2010) – Freshman Jessica Furtado (Taunton, Mass.) hit a three-run, game-winning double on Thursday to give the Franklin Pierce University softball team a 6-5, walk-off victory over Philadelphia in neutral-site, non-conference play at the National Training Center. Earlier in the day, Franklin Pierce dropped a 3-0 decision to Caldwell. With the split, the Ravens are now 4-7 (0-0 Northeast-10).

Against Philadelphia in the second game of the day, the two teams traded runs in the early portion of the contest. Philadelphia opened with a run in the top of the first, which was answered by Franklin Pierce in the bottom half. Philadelphia then took a 2-1 lead in the top of the second and pushed it to 4-1 in the top of the fourth. The Ravens closed to within a run at 4-3 with a pair in the bottom half of the fourth, before Philadelphia stretched it to two runs at 5-3 in the top of the seventh. Franklin Pierce loaded the bases in the home half of the inning, which set the stage for Furtado's bases-clearing, walk-off double.

In all, the Franklin Pierce offense ended up with seven hits, three of which were singles by sophomore outfielder Jayme Bilafer (Concord, Mass.), who scored a pair of runs in the game. Junior outfielder Nicole Pratt (Gardner, Mass.) clubbed an RBI triple in the game, sophomore catcher Jamie Verner (Natick, Mass.) brought home a run with a double and junior second baseman Emily Griffin (Leominster, Mass.) doubled and scored a run

In the circle for Franklin Pierce against Philadelphia, sophomore right-hander Jessica Wiley (Cape Vincent, N.Y.) threw a complete game to pick up the win. Over seven innings, she allowed five runs (three earned) on six hits, walked two and struck out four.

Earlier in the day, the Ravens collected only three hits against Caldwell in a 3-0 loss, as Caldwell plated single runs in the bottom of the first, fourth and fifth innings. Furtado and Griffin each recorded a single in the game, while sophomore third baseman Meaghan O'Neal (Littleton, Mass.) knocked a double.

Junior right-hander Kayla Johnson (Hudson, N.H.) took the ball and the loss for Franklin Pierce in the first game of the day. Over six innings, she allowed three runs on seven hits, walked three and struck out four.

The Ravens return to the field on Friday, March 19, when they wrap up their Spring Break trip with a pair of neutral-site, non-conference games at the National Training Center. Franklin Pierce will take on St. Thomas Aquinas at 11:30 a.m. and Rollins at 3:30 p.m.