Softball Opens 2014 Campaign with Pair of Tough Losses Despite Spirited Effort

Courtney Caputo goes 4-for-6 with a double in game two

SALEM, Va. (March 14, 2014) – The Franklin Pierce University softball team opened its 2014 campaign on Friday with a pair of tough losses at the Salem Invitational in Salem, Va. The Ravens dropped an 8-0 decision to Millersville in the opener on Friday morning, but rebounded with a spirited effort before coming up just short in an 11-10 setback to Winston-Salem in extra innings in the afternoon contest. The Ravens dipped to 0-2 on the season.

Franklin Pierce got offensive in the day’s second game against Winston-Salem, as each Raven in the lineup reached base safely, while all but one recorded at least one hit.

Sophomore Mandi Adee (Kinderhook, N.Y.), who took to the pitching circle for Franklin Pierce in the second game, helped her cause at the dish in top of the sixth inning with a two-run single, while classmate Erin Wood (Dover, N.Y.) scored on a pass ball.

The game went to extra innings, and sophomore Tricia Hansen (Mansfield, Mass.), who came on relief of Adee in the circle, knocked in what appeared to be the go-ahead run in the eighth on an RBI single to left field scoring freshman Sydney Despres (Sterling, Mass.) to make it 10-9.

Winston-Salem, however, tied up the game once again in the eighth, and pushed the winning tally across in the bottom of the ninth to take home the one-run victory. Hansen was tagged with the loss in relief, as she posted a pair of losses in the circle on the day to fall to 0-2.

Franklin Pierce scratched out at least one run in six of the game’s nine innings, as the Ravens’ offense showed its potential for the season during the afternoon.

Sophomore Courtney Caputo (Stony Brook, N.Y.) went 4-for-6 with three singles and a double, including an RBI in the third inning, while Wood went 3-for-5 with an RBI as well. Junior Alicia Dean (Danvers, Mass.) stroked a pair of hits, including scoring a run in the third, which came on Melissa Morgan’s (Clifton Park, N.Y.) RBI triple.

Adee got the start in the circle and lasted 6.1 innings before being pulled, and not factoring in the decision.

Franklin Pierce opened its new season earlier in the day, and dropped an 8-0 decision to Millersville in five innings. The Marauders no-hit the Ravens to earn the win, as Brianna Andraos went the distance with five strikeouts to earn the win and run her record to 2-2 on the year.

Hansen yielded eight runs on 12 hits over 4.0 innings of work, and was saddled with the loss. Millersville scored twice in the first, third, fourth, and fifth innings to cap the win. Gabbie Berry doubled, tripled, and drove in a pair to highlight the Millersville offensive attack.

Franklin Pierce returns to action Saturday with two more games at the Salem Invitational. The Ravens kick things off with a 9 a.m. showdown with Salem Invitational, followed by an 11 a.m. contest with Seton Hill.

For more information on Franklin Pierce softball, please visit the team’s page at http://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 http://athletics.franklinpierce.edu/store(.)