Shannon goes 3-for-4

Game One Box Score
Game Two Box Score

HEMPSTEAD, N.Y. (March 28, 2010) – Sophomore first baseman Keryn Shannon (Dracut, Mass.) went 3-for-4 and sophomore center fielder Jayme Bilafer (Concord, Mass.) drove in a pair of runs on Sunday afternoon to give the Franklin Pierce University softball team a 7-4 victory and a split in its Northeast-10 Conference doubleheader against Adelphi at Hofstra Stadium on the campus of Hofstra University. Earlier in the day, Franklin Pierce dropped the first game of the twinbill, 4-1.

With the split, Franklin Pierce is now 6-9 (1-1 Northeast-10) on the season, while Adelphi is 8-8 (1-1 Northeast-10).

The first game of the day went four innings without a run before Adelphi broke the ice with four runs in the bottom of the fifth inning. Senior first baseman Ashley Vinti led off with a double into the gap in right-center and moved to third on a bunt single by senior center fielder Rochelle Noren. Senior right fielder Katie Brophy followed and knocked an RBI single back through the middle to score Vinti and move Noren around to third, where she scored from on a bunt single by junior third baseman Shay Craig. The runners wound up on second and third thanks to an error on the play. Freshman designated player Amanda Dolan brought home the third run of the inning with a sacrifice fly to left field and senior right-hander Christine Robinson capped the four-run inning with an RBI double to right-center.

Franklin Pierce picked up its only run of the game in the top of the seventh to create the 4-1 final. With one out, junior right fielder Nicole Pratt (Gardner, Mass.) clubbed a double into the gap in left-center. She moved to third on a groundout and scored on an RBI single back up the middle by junior second baseman Emily Griffin (Leominster, Mass.).

Junior right-hander Kayla Johnson (Hudson, N.H.) started in the circle and took the loss for Franklin Pierce. Over four innings, she allowed four runs (two earned) on six hits, walked two, hit a batter and struck out two. Freshman right-hander Lindsay Hodges (Sherburne, N.Y.) tossed two shutout innings of relief and allowed only two hits.

Robinson took the ball for Adelphi and tossed a complete game to earn the win. She surrendered just one run on seven hits, did not issue a walk, hit a batter and struck out nine.

In the second game of the day, the two teams traded runs in the first inning. In the top of the first, sophomore third baseman Meaghan O'Neal (Littleton, Mass.) reached on a two-out error, moved to second on a wild pitch and scored on an RBI single back through the middle by freshman designated player Jessica Furtado (Taunton, Mass.). In the bottom half of the inning, Craig was hit by a pitch with two outs, moved to second on another hit batter and scored on a double to center by Vinti.

Franklin Pierce then opened up a 4-1 lead with three runs in the top of the second. Pratt led off the inning with a bunt single and moved around to third on a single up the middle by Shannon, who then stole second. Both runners held their position as sophomore left fielder Rachel Baxter (Cumberland, R.I.) reached on an error to load the bases. Sophomore catcher Jamie Verner (Natick, Mass.) was hit by a pitch to drive in the first run of the inning, while Bilafer brought home the other two via a fielder's choice and an error.

Adelphi closed to within a run at 4-3 with a single run each in the bottom of the second and third innings. In the second, freshman designated player Emily Dorko reached on an infield single, moved all the way to third on a wild pitch and scored on an RBI groundout by freshman left fielder Paige Rhodes. In the third, Brophy reached on an error, stole second, moved to third on a base hit and scored on a sacrifice fly by junior catcher Deandra Leo.

Franklin Pierce extended the lead to three at 6-3 with two runs in the top of the fifth. O'Neal led off with a walk, moved to second and third on back-to-back groundouts and scored on a double to left field by Pratt. Pratt in turn scored when Shannon belted an RBI triple to left.

The Ravens added a further insurance run in the top of the sixth. With two outs, Bilafer reached on an error, stole second and scored on a single back through the middle by O'Neal.

Adelphi would push across a run in the bottom of the seventh inning to create the 7-4 final. With one out, Vinti singled into left, moved to second on a groundout at scored on an RBI single to left by freshman shortstop Jeanine Leo.

Sophomore right-hander Jessica Wiley (Cape Vincent, N.Y.) took the ball in the second game for Franklin Pierce and picked up the win. Over four innings, she allowed three runs (two earned) on nine hits, did not issue a walk, hit two batters, threw a wild pitch and struck out three. Johnson tossed the final three innings for the Ravens, allowed one run on two hits, walked one, threw a wild pitch and struck out two.

Junior Leighann Bell started and took the loss in the circle for Adelphi. In just two innings of work, she allowed four runs (two earned) on three hits, hit a batter, threw a wild pitch and struck out two.

The Ravens return to the field on Tuesday, March 30, when they host Saint Anselm in a Northeast-10 Conference contest at 3 p.m.