Jessica Furtado scored Franklin Pierce's go-ahead run at the time in game two versus AIC

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (April 4, 2013) – The Franklin Pierce University softball team was swept by American International in a doubleheader on Thursday afternoon at Judy Groff Field in Springfield, Mass. The Ravens fell hard, 8-0, in game one, but rebounded with a spirited effort in game two before coming up just short 4-3. Franklin Pierce fell to 2-11 (0-6 Northeast-10, 0-4 Northeast Division), while the Yellow Jackets improved to 7-13 (4-6 NE-10, 2-6 Southwest Division).

The Ravens were no-hit in game one, which lasted just five innings as AIC exploded for seven runs in the fourth and tacked on another in the fifth to complete the shutout victory.

Kelsey Malloy earned the no-hitter and evened her record at 2-2 as she struck out three and walked two over five innings of work. She retired the first six batters she faced, but got into some trouble in the third as she loaded the bases on a walk and a pair of AIC errors. However, Malloy escaped the jam when Alicia Dean (Danvers, Mass.), who reached via a walk to lead off the inning, was thrown out at home as Courtney Caputo (Stony Brook, N.Y.) hit into a fielder’s choice.

AIC pushed seven across in the fourth, highlighted by a three-run homer to right field by Erin St. Pierre. Haley Marchand knocked in two on a double to center and Ashleigh St. Peter collected two RBI by stroking a base hit to right field.

Franklin Pierce senior hurler Rachel Allen (Hull, Mass.) was tagged with the loss after going four innings and allowing seven runs on nine hits with two strikeouts and a pair of walks. She fell to 2-3 on the year.

The Ravens, however, showed their resiliency in the second game and quickly took a 1-0 lead in the top of the second inning. For the second day in a row, Franklin Pierce pulled off a double steal, this time with Caitlin Murphy (Braintree, Mass.) stealing second, which allowed Karissa Forzese (Methuen, Mass.) to come home from third with her own stolen base. Forzese had reached safely earlier in the frame by stroking a single to left field.

American International, though, rallied in the bottom of the inning and loaded the bases for Jorrdin Miller to drive in a run with a base hit to center. Jenna Costa was next to step to the plate and worked a walk off Franklin Pierce starter Mandi Adee (Kinderhook, N.Y.) to force in another run to stake AIC to the 2-1 advantage.

The Ravens seemed to be working some late magic in the top of the sixth inning and scored twice to go back on top at 3-2. Both Dean and Jessica Furtado (Taunton, Mass.) drew a walk, and with two outs Murphy hit a fly ball to right, which the right fielder misplayed, allowing both base runners to come home.

Franklin Pierce’s lead was short-lived, though, as AIC got an RBI single from Katie Merrill in the bottom of the sixth to knot the score at 3-all. The run was scored against reliever Jessica Wiley (Cape Vincent, N.Y.), who came on in relief of Adee earlier in the frame.

The Ravens were retired in order in the seventh, which allowed the Yellow Jackets to complete the come-from-behind win in the bottom of the frame as Marlee Haigh delivered a walk-off single down the right field line, scoring Lyndsey Letourneau, who had started the rally with a single down the opposite line to lead off the inning.

Wiley took the loss to fall to 0-1 as she went 1.2 innings and yielded two runs on four hits with a pair of walks. Adee went 5.0 innings in the start and gave up just two runs on nine hits, while also striking out six AIC batters. Malloy came on in relief for AIC in the seventh, and after retiring the Franklin Pierce side, and then Haigh delivering the winning hit, picked up the win to improve to 3-2.

Franklin Pierce returns to action Saturday when the Ravens open their home schedule by playing host to Pace in a doubleheader beginning at 12 p.m. at the FPU Softball Field in Rindge.

For more information on Franklin Pierce softball, please visit the team’s page at athletics.franklinpierce.edu(.) To follow the program even further, please visit Franklin Pierce Athletics on YouTube (www.youtube.com/FranklinPierceSports), Twitter (www.twitter.com/FPUathletics) and Facebook (www.facebook.com/FranklinPierceRavens). Fans wishing to purchase Franklin Pierce softball apparel can do so on the athletic department’s online store at athletics.franklinpierce.edu/store(.)