Sydney Despres blasts two homers herself in game one to help send contest to extra innings

MANCHESTER, N.H. (April 5, 2014) – Sophomore shortstop Courtney Caputo (Stony Brook, N.Y.) launched a combined three home runs over two games Saturday night to power the Franklin Pierce University softball team to a doubleheader sweep of Southern Connecticut State at SNHU Field in Manchester, N.H. The Ravens won game one, 7-4, on Caputo’s heroics in the eighth inning, while also taking game two by a 4-3 count.

Franklin Pierce improved to 4-8 overall and 3-3 in the Northeast-10, while the Owls dipped to 7-13 and 0-7 in league play.

With the score tied 4-4 in the bottom of the eighth in game one, Caputo sent a SCSU pitch over the wall in left field, scoring Tricia Hansen (Mansfield, Mass.) and Alicia Dean (Danvers, Mass.) on the play. Dean began the inning with a single, stole second, and remained on the base after Hansen was able to reach via a fielder’s choice. Caputo followed with the blast that would carry over for her in game two.

Caputo’s eighth inning shot would not have been possible without another power surge from freshman catcher Sydney Despres (Sterling, Mass.), who blasted two homers of her own in game one to tie things up. Despres’ first blast was a two-run shot in the fifth inning to pull the Ravens to within a run at 4-3. Her second massive blast was a solo home run over the left-field fence to lead off the seventh inning to even things up at 4-4.

Caputo finished game one by going 2-for-4 with three RBI and a run scored. Despres was 2-for-3 with a trio of runs driven in and a pair of runs scored. Also highlighting the attack were two hits from Hansen, and a 3-for-4 effort from senior Ashley Noke (Cumberland, R.I.).

Mandi Adee (Kinderhook, N.Y.) took to the circle for the Ravens in game one, and after a rough first inning yielding three runs, she settled down into a nice rhythm to allow the offense to come around. Adee picked up the win in a complete-game performance by going 8.0 innings yielding only three earned runs with three strikeouts.

Caputo kept things going offensively for the Ravens in game two, first by launching a two-run homer in the first inning, and then sending another two-run shot over the fence in the fifth to make it 4-1 Franklin Pierce.

Hansen had a terrific all-around game for the Ravens in game two by collecting a pair of hits and scoring a run, while also turning in a strong performance in the pitching circle to pick up the complete-game victory. She struck out six and yielded just the three runs on only seven hits and two walks. Hansen retired the Owls in order in the seventh inning to lock down the win, including getting Danielle Piazza to strike out swinging to end it.

Kaley Marden stroked a pair of doubles for SCSU in game two, while Leanna Feerick went 2-for-3 with a run driven in.

Franklin Pierce returns to action Sunday, as the Ravens will be back at SNHU to take on New Haven in a doubleheader beginning at 3 p.m.

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(.)