Erin Wood blasts a pair of homers on the day

RINDGE, N.H. (April 22, 2014) – The Franklin Pierce University softball team erupted offensively and got strong starting pitching, and used those ingredients to sweep Saint Michael’s in a doubleheader on Tuesday while running its winning streak to seven-straight games. The Ravens won game one, 12-4, in five innings, and then picked up an 8-0 triumph in just six innings in game two at the Melissa Bisaccia Memorial Softball Complex in Rindge.

The Ravens improved to 11-17 overall, 9-11 in the Northeast-10 Conference, and 7-9 in the Northeast Division. The Purple Knights fell to 1-28, 1-20 in league play, and 0-15 in the division.

Sophomore infielder Erin Wood (Dover, N.Y.) blasted a pair of homers in the sweep, while classmate Tricia Hansen (Mansfield, Mass.) was dominant in the pitching circle by tossing a complete game two-hitter in game two.

Hansen improved to 6-7 on the year, and has won each of her last four decisions. She was on target from beginning to end in game two, striking out the first four batters she faced. After yielding back-to-back singles in the second, Hansen retired the final 14 batters she faced, including striking out three more. She also yielded zero walks for the contest.

While Hansen was dealing in the circle, the Ravens were getting it done at the dish by pounding out eight runs on 12 hits, including a 3-for-3 effort from Mikaela Ballmer (Birdsboro, Pa.), who had a two-run double in the third inning.

The Ravens jumped all over St. Mike’s pitching in the bottom of the first as Ashley Noke (Cumberland, R.I.) and Melissa Morgan (Clifton Park, N.Y.) cracked back-to-back RBI doubles off starter Jane Erlandson, who ultimately suffered the loss.

Wood, who homered earlier in game one, thought she had game two off, but due to some substitutions, she entered the game and during her only at-bat in the sixth launched a two-run shot over the fence in left field, scoring Hansen on the play. Morgan Cahill’s (Saratoga Springs, N.Y.) sacrifice fly later in the frame set the eight-run rule into effect.

Game one saw Franklin Pierce jump all over Saint Michael’s as well, beginning with a four-run bottom of the first thanks to a pair of two-run homers by Courtney Caputo (Stony Brook, N.Y.) and Sydney Despres (Sterling, Mass.).

The Purple Knights got to within a run at 4-3 in the third, but Franklin Pierce countered with seven runs in the bottom half of the frame. Five Saint Michael’s errors helped the Ravens’ cause, but the highlight was the two-run blast by Wood, along with RBI singles from Morgan and Megan Gardiner (Vernon, Conn.). Wood delivered an RBI double in the bottom of the fifth to also set the eight-run rule into effect.

Mandi Adee (Kinderhook, N.Y.) overcame a rough start by allowing just three earned runs over 5.0 innings of work to earn the win. She struck out four in improving to 5-9 on the year.

All nine Ravens in the lineup reached base safely in game one, as the team pounded out 15 hits. Caputo was 4-for-4 with two RBI and three runs scored. Wood and Despres followed with three hits each, while Hansen added a pair.

Franklin Pierce returns to action Wednesday when the Ravens play host to Assumption in a single game beginning at 4 p.m. at the Bisaccia Complex.

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(.)