Furtado hits home run in first game

RINDGE, N.H. (April 4, 2012) – Junior catcher Jessica Furtado (Taunton, Mass.) hit a solo home run in the first game of a doubleheader on Wednesday afternoon, but the Franklin Pierce University softball team was defeated, 6-1, by Assumption in Northeast-10 Conference play at FPU Softball Field. In the second game, junior left fielder Melissa Jalbert hit three home runs, including a grand slam, to drive home seven runs and lead Assumption to a 13-5, six-inning victory.

With the losses, Franklin Pierce falls to 9-16 (7-9 Northeast-10), while Assumption improves to 18-9 (11-3 Northeast-10).

In the first game, Assumption opened the scoring with three unearned runs in the top of the third inning. With one out, Jalbert reached on a throwing error by Franklin Pierce sophomore shortstop Jamie Wiley (Cape Vincent, N.Y.), before two walks surrounding a popup loaded the bases with two outs. From there, senior shortstop Marissa Palumbo worked a walk to force in the first run, and freshman first baseman Ashley Impagliazzo knocked a two-run single back up the middle.

Franklin Pierce picked up its only run of the game in the bottom of the first inning. Furtado led off and crushed a solo home run, her team-leading third of the season, to straightaway left field.

Assumption tacked on three runs in the top of the sixth to create the 7-1 final. Palumbo worked a lead-off walk, but was called out for interfering with the second baseman while Impagliazzo reached on a fielder's choice. Impagliazzo went to second on an infield single by senior designated player Caitlin Clary and scored on an RBI single to center by sophomore pinch hitter Paige Licata. After a groundout moved the runners to second and third, Clary and Licata would both score on a two-run single through the right side of the infield by Jalbert, who drove in a total of nine runs and scored four times in the doubleheader.

Junior right-hander Rachel Allen (Hull, Mass.) went the distance in the circle and took the loss (3-7) for Franklin Pierce in the first game. She allowed six runs (three earned) on six hits, walked seven and struck out two.

Senior right-hander Jennifer Lowrey tossed a four-hitter to pick up the win (8-4) for Assumption. She allowed four hits, walked one and struck out 11.

The second game featured, among other forms of precipitation, an April hail storm, though it did not seem to deter the Assumption bats. The Greyhounds opened the scoring with two runs in the top of the first inning. They jumped to the 2-0 just two batters in, as sophomore center fielder Tanya Robidoux led off with a double into the gap in right-center and Jalbert followed with a two-run home run, her fourth of the season, to right-center.

The Ravens got on the board with a run in the bottom of the second. With one out, senior catcher Jamie Verner (Natick, Mass.) pulled a double down the left-field line and scored on an RBI single back up the middle by sophomore third baseman Ashley Noke (Cumberland, R.I.).

Assumption started to separate itself with five runs in the top of the third to jump to a 7-1 lead. Jalbert hit a solo home run with one out that could have been the only damage of the frame, before a two-out error by Wiley at short kept the inning alive. Two batters later, with the bases loaded, Impagliazzo hit the Greyhounds' first grand slam of the game, her first career home run, to center field.

Franklin Pierce picked up a run in the bottom of the fourth to make it 7-2. Furtado worked a lead-off walk and moved to second on a groundout. Verner followed with a double just out of the center fielder's reach, though Furtado had to hold at third on the play after waiting to see if the ball would be caught. Furtado would score when Noke followed with an RBI groundout.

Assumption would put the game away with six more runs in the top of the sixth inning. Jalbert had the big blow of the inning with a grand slam to cap her day at the plate, while Robidoux was hit by a pitch to drive in a run and an error allowed the sixth run to score.

Franklin Pierce picked up three runs in the bottom of the sixth to create the 13-5 final, as the game ended via the eight-run rule. Furtado opened the inning with a single back up the middle and moved to second as senior left fielder Rachel Baxter (Cumberland, R.I.) was hit by a pitch. After a wild pitch moved the runners up, Noke worked a walk to load the bases. Senior right fielder Nikki Pratt (Gardner, Mass.) knocked a two-run single through the left side of the infield and Noke scored on an RBI groundout by senior second baseman Meaghan O'Neal (Littleton, Mass.).

Freshman right-hander Jessica Colson (Feeding Hills, Mass.) took the ball and the loss (2-3) in the second game for Franklin Pierce. Over 2.2 innings, she allowed seven runs (three earned) on five hits, walked two and struck out two.

Sophomore right-hander Jenn Lattal started and picked up the win (7-2) in the circle for Assumption. Over five-plus innings, she allowed four runs on five hits, walked two, hit a batter and struck out four.

The Ravens return to the field on Saturday, April 7, when they remain home to host American International in a Northeast-10 Conference doubleheader. First pitch is scheduled for noon at FPU Softball Field.

For more information on Franklin Pierce Athletics, please visit the official website of Franklin Pierce Athletics (http://athletics.franklinpierce.edu). Also be sure to follow the Ravens through the Department of Athletics' official Facebook page (http://www.facebook.com/FranklinPierceRavens), its YouTube channel (http://www.youtube.com/franklinpiercesports) and its Twitter feed (http://twitter.com/FPUathletics).