Ashley Noke with an RBI double in game one

MANCHESTER, N.H. (April 9, 2014) – The Franklin Pierce University softball team dropped a doubleheader to Southern New Hampshire on Wednesday afternoon by scores of 13-3 (5 innings) and 6-4 at Penmen Field in Manchester, N.H.

The Ravens fell to 4-14 overall, 3-8 in the Northeast-10, and 1-6 in the Northeast Division, while the Penmen improved to 17-7 and 6-3 in league play (5-0 NE Div.).

Erin Wood (Dover, N.Y.) and Ashley Noke (Cumberland, R.I.) ripped back-to-back RBI doubles in the first inning of game one to put the Ravens up front early with a 2-0 lead.

However, the bright start to the day was quickly undone as SNHU exploded for 11 runs in the bottom of the first, highlighted by Holly Eicher’s three-run homer and Mo Hannan’s RBI double. SNHU tacked on a run in both the second and third innings to end the game early after five innings.

Eicher was 2-for-2 with four RBI and a pair of runs scored, while Katie Caruso was 2-for-3 with two runs driven in and a run scored. Hannan, Lindsey Bolduc, Morgan Farmer, and Tesia Stanasek each scored twice as well.

Tricia Hansen (Mansfield, Mass.) took the loss in the pitching circle for the Ravens by giving up 13 runs (only 5 earned though) on 12 hits over 5.0 innings of work. Ali Maloof got the win in the circle for the Penmen.

Hansen, along with Wood and Noke, each stroked a pair of hits to lead the Ravens’ offensive attack. Hansen also scored a pair of runs.

Game two did not fare much better for the Ravens, as the Penmen plated a pair in both the second and fourth innings, and held a 6-2 lead entering the sixth inning.

Franklin Pierce, however, tried to claw back and did push across a pair in the frame thanks to a two-run double by Wood, scoring Courtney Caputo (Stony Brook, N.Y.) and Hansen on the play. Alicia Dean (Danvers, Mass.) added to Franklin Pierce’s attack with a homer and two runs driven in.

Dolores Mattice struck out eight and scattered three earned runs and five hits over 7.0 innings of work to earn the win for SNHU. Mandi Adee (Kinderhook, N.Y.) suffered the loss for the Ravens in the circle by yielding four earned runs and seven hits over 6.0 innings of work.

Franklin Pierce returns to action Friday when the Ravens travel to Waltham, Mass. to face Bentley in a single game 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(.)