O'Neal drives home five in win

CLERMONT, Fla. (March 19, 2010) – Sophomore third baseman Meaghan O'Neal (Littleton, Mass.) hit two doubles and a single to drive home five runs on Friday to lead the Franklin Pierce University softball team to a 10-0, six-inning victory over St. Thomas Aquinas in neutral-site, non-conference play at the National Training Center. Later in the day, the Ravens were defeated, 5-0, by No. 20 nationally ranked Rollins. With the split, Franklin Pierce wraps up its spring trip to Florida at 5-8 (0-0 Northeast-10).

Franklin Pierce scored early and often in the first game on their way to shortening the game to six innings via the eight-run rule. The Ravens piled up 10 runs on 14 hits, while holding St. Thomas off the scoreboard and surrendering only two hits. Franklin Pierce scored twice each in the top of the first and third innings, as well as three times each in the fourth and sixth innings.

O'Neal led the way with her three-hit performance and drove in half of Franklin Pierce's runs. Senior first baseman Kiley Molinari (Meriden, Conn.) and freshman shortstop Aimee Lamoureux (East Brookfield, Mass.) each collected two hits on the afternoon as well. Molinari tallied a double and a single and drove home a run, while Lamoureux singled twice and scored a pair of runs. In addition, junior outfielder Melissa Wade (Taunton, Mass.) hit a two-run double and freshman Alexa Demsey (Maidstone, Vt.) recorded her first collegiate hit.

In the circle for Franklin Pierce against St. Thomas Aquinas, junior right-hander Kayla Johnson (Hudson, N.H.) tossed a two-hit shutout to pick up the win. She did not issue a walk and struck out six.

Later in the day, the Ravens collected just two hits against nationally ranked Rollins in a 5-0 loss. Rollins scored twice in the first, twice in the fifth and once in the sixth to come away with the victory. O'Neal and junior outfielder Nicole Pratt (Gardner, Mass.) each recorded a single in the game for Franklin Pierce.

Freshman right-hander Rachel Allen (Hull, Mass.) started and took the loss for the Ravens in the second game. Over 4.2 innings, she allowed four runs (three earned) on six hits, walked two and struck out one. Freshman right-hander Lindsay Hodges (Sherburne, N.Y.) did not allow a hit over the final 2.1 innings and surrendered only one unearned run.

The Ravens return to the field on Saturday, March 27, when they travel to Adelphi for a doubleheader to open the Northeast-10 Conference season. First pitch is scheduled for noon at Janet L. Ficke Field in Garden City, N.Y.