Ravens Fall Twice in Day Two Twinbill

Ravens Fall Twice in Day Two Twinbill

CLERMONT, Fla. (March 12, 2017) – The Franklin Pierce University softball team dropped two games on the second day of their spring break trip to Clermont on Sunday. The first loss was a 13-1 six inning setback to Post University and the Ravens lost by an 8-0 score in six frames to the University of Sioux Falls in game two.

With the two losses, the Ravens remain winless in the early going at 0-4 while the Eagles soar to 1-0 and the Cougars improve to 11-6.

 

Game One: Eagles 13, Ravens 1 (Final – 6 Innings)

The guests tallied two runs in the top half of the first inning as Kristen Owens swatted an RBI single to left field which scored Skylar Devorin from second base. A batter late, Emily Schaffer connected for another RBI single this time to right field which plated Owens. Freshman southpaw Amelia Mamone (Wynantskill, N.Y.) relieved starter Abbie Paquette (Biddeford, Maine) and she got the next two batters to pop up to second basemen Jaclyn Cortese (Upton, Mass.) to end the frame.

Trailing 3-0 going into the bottom half of the second inning, Aubrey Bianco (Marlboro, N.Y.) reached base after taking one for the team. Following a punch out, Mikaela Ballmer (Birdsboro, Pa.) manufactured a single to center field that pushed Bianco to second. The Ravens continued to threaten as the bases became loaded after another hit by pitch. Cassidy Sorenson (Billerica, Mass.) stepped in with the bases juiced and she lofted a sacrifice fly to center field that scored Bianco, but Abbigael Cook (Smithfield, R.I.) was tagged out at third base on a relay from the centerfielder and shortstop which ended the inning. FPU headed into the third with a two run, 3-1 deficit.

Post added two runs to their lead in the top of the fourth via a sac fly and an unearned run scored off a passed ball. In the bottom half, Dominique Bisaccia (Yorktown Heights, N.Y.) led off the inning by roping a single to left field. Immediately after reaching base, she advanced to second on a passed ball. Bianco promptly flew out to the right fielder in the next at bat which resulted in Ashley Conway (Salem, N.H.) stepping to the plate. Conway deposited a single into left field past the shortstop and the third basemen. Bisaccia moved up to third on the hit, but Conway was tagged out trying to stretch the single into an extra base hit. With a runner on third, Ballmer pinch hit for Cook and flew out to right field which ended the scoring threat.

The Ravens best chance to score came in the bottom of the fifth as Sorenson reached first on a rip to right field. Sorenson was forced out at second on a fielder's choice by Jillian Ostrander (South Glens Falls, N.Y.) and Ashley Deyo (Dover, N.H.) became the third out by grounding out to short.

Post would tally eight runs on five hits and two errors in the top of the sixth to take a commanding 13-1 lead and the Eagles got the Ravens to go down in order in the bottom half to hold on for the victory.

For the Eagles, Leslie Denis improved to 1-0 on the year after spinning six innings of one run ball while scattering five hits and striking out four batters. Paquette earned the loss, dropped to 0-1 while Mamone hurled three and two thirds of an inning allowing only three runs – one earned on five hits while punching out one batter.

 

Game Two: Cougars 8, Ravens 0 (Final – 6 Innings)

In the second game of the doubleheader, sophomore right hander Sabrina LoMonaco (Franklin, Mass.) took the ball and tossed three innings allowing four runs on seven hits while receiving her first loss of the year. On the other side, Courtney Mathews twirled a complete game shutout allowing only one hit while striking out six batters across six frames.

Sioux Falls tallied two runs in the bottom of the first off an RBI ground out and a Kenna Heath single to right centerfield that plated Emma Schifferle. They added another run in the bottom of the second to move ahead 3-0 thanks to a Britni Broussard run scoring single.

Franklin Pierce remained hitless until shortstop Samantha Bonvino (Milford, Mass.) smacked a single with one out in the top of the fourth. Bianco relieved LoMonaco on the bump and in the bottom of the fifth she turned a double play by snaring a comebacker off the bat of Sydney Nieyeen before doubling off Schifferle at first base.

Sorenson and Ballmer were putting together good at bats and hacks in the batter's box all day for the Ravens, but every time they made hard contact, the Cougars defenders were in position for corral the cowhide.

FPU has an off day scheduled for tomorrow and the squad will return to the field on Tuesday for a double header with Seton Hill at 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday followed by a contest with Bridgeport set for 8:30 p.m.

For more information on Franklin Pierce Athletics, please visit the official website of Franklin Pierce Athletics (http://athletics.franklinpierce.edu). Also be sure to follow the Ravens through the Department of Athletics' official Facebook page (http://www.facebook.com/FranklinPierceRavens), its YouTube channel (http://www.youtube.com/franklinpiercesports) and its Twitter feed (http://twitter.com/FPUathletics). Fans wishing to purchase Franklin Pierce softball apparel can do so at the Department of Athletics' online store (http://athletics.franklinpierce.edu/store).