Jamie Wiley homers in game one for the Ravens

WALTHAM, Mass. (April 12, 2014) – The Franklin Pierce University softball team tried to rally in both games of a doubleheader Saturday at Bentley, but came up just short each time in falling 2-1 and 5-3 to the Falcons at Bentley Field in Waltham, Mass.

The Ravens fell to 4-17 and 3-11 in the Northeast-10 (1-9 Northeast Division), while the Falcons improved to 13-11 and 7-7 in league play (5-3 NE Div.). The doubleheader sweep also enabled Bentley to take all three games in the weekend series against Franklin Pierce, as the Falcons pulled off a 5-0 triumph in Friday’s single game.

Franklin Pierce trailed 1-0 heading into the top of the seventh in game one on Saturday, but pulled even when Jamie Wiley (Cape Vincent, N.Y.) launched a solo shot over the fence in left field to lead off the frame.

Bentley, though, countered with the winning run in the bottom of the inning when Kelsey Kennedy ripped a two-out RBI triple to left center scoring Katelyn Lebreux.

The winning run came off starting pitcher Tricia Hansen (Mansfield, Mass.), who pitched a solid complete-game despite suffering the loss by scattering one earned run and four hits over 6.2 innings, while striking out eight and walking just two.

Erin Wood (Dover, N.Y.) and Sydney Despres (Sterling, Mass.) each smacked a double to lead Franklin Pierce’s offensive attack, while Alex Borelli accounted for Bentley’s other RBI in the game.

Kelly Ferris won the game in relief for Bentley by pitching 2.0 innings with two strikeouts and no walks.

Franklin Pierce continued to battle in game two and took a 2-1 lead in the top of the fourth inning when Alicia Dean (Danvers, Mass.) scored on a Bentley throwing error. The Falcons, however, countered with a run in the bottom of the frame to tie it, and then exploded for three runs in the fifth, highlighted by a two-run double from Jackie Gauthier.

The Ravens got a run back in the sixth on an RBI sacrifice fly by Morgan Cahill (Saratoga Springs, N.Y.), scoring Wiley from third, but they could not push anymore across as the rally fell short.

Mandi Adee (Kinderhook, N.Y.) was tagged with the loss by yielding five runs on eight hits over 6.0 innings of work, while Michelle DeVito got the win in relief for Bentley once again by going 1.2 innings and only allowing a run on one hit. Ferris picked up the save with a scoreless 1.1 innings of work.

Franklin Pierce returns to action Monday when the Ravens play host to Southern New Hampshire in a single game at Melissa Bisaccia Memorial Softball Complex 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(.)