Melissa Morgan blasts two-run homer in game two

RINDGE, N.H. (April 8, 2014) – The Franklin Pierce University softball team took part in a historic day on Tuesday, as the Ravens opened the newly constructed Melissa Bisaccia Memorial Softball Complex with a doubleheader against Saint Anselm. The Ravens gave the Hawks a good battle in game one before coming up short, 2-1, while dropping a 9-2 decision in game two.

Saint Anselm improved to 13-7 overall and 6-3 in the Northeast-10 (3-0 Northeast Division), while the Ravens dipped to 4-12 and 3-6 in league play (1-4 NE Division).

All three of the Ravens runs came via the home run, as senior Ashley Noke (Cumberland, R.I.) became the first Raven to account for a run in the facility’s history, as she blasted a solo home run over the left-field fence in the bottom of the fourth inning in game one.

Both of Franklin Pierce’s runs in the second game came off a two-run shot by Melissa Morgan (Clifton Park, N.Y.) in the second inning, also scoring Julie Gallagher (Flanders, N.J.), who was pinch running for Sydney Despres (Sterling, Mass.), who herself laced a single back up the middle earlier in the frame.

Noke’s blast in the first game knotted the score at 1-1, but Saint Anselm countered with the go-ahead run in the sixth when Emily Crannell scored from third on a passed ball. The Ravens went 1-2-3 in the sixth, and put a runner into scoring position in the seventh, but a groundout and runner’s interference nullified a potential tying rally.

Morgan’s homer put Franklin Pierce up 2-1 in game two, but once again the Hawks responded and knotted the score with a run in the third as Nicole Boucher crossed home plate on a sacrifice bunt by Pattie Turner.

Saint Anselm exploded for five runs in the fifth, highlighted by a two-run double from Monique Gauthier and a three-run homer by Julie LeClair. The Hawks tacked on two more runs in the sixth, as Turner drove in Crannell and Boucher on a double to left field.

Tayla Trask and Paige Cormier picked up the wins in the pitching circle for Saint Anselm, as each tossed complete-game performances.

Mandi Adee (Kinderhook, N.Y.) tossed a strong outing in game one for the Ravens as she yielded just two runs on five hits over 7.0 innings of work. Tricia Hansen (Mansfield, Mass.) took the loss in game two despite throwing a complete game.

Franklin Pierce returns to action Wednesday when the Ravens travel to Manchester to take on Southern New Hampshire in a doubleheader beginning at 4 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(.)