MANCHESTER, N.H. (April 11, 2017) – The Franklin Pierce University softball team traveled cross state to Saint Anselm College and were beaten 8-1 in both games of a Northeast-10 Conference twinbill on Tuesday afternoon. The Hawks soared to 5-9 on the year and evened their league mark at 3-3 while the Ravens lost their 18th game of the year and their eighth in conference play.

Game One: Hawks 8, Ravens 1 (Final)

Sam Hennequin hurled a complete game two hitter for the Hawks as she struck out seven Raven batters. Cleanup hitter Megan Murrell was 1-for-4 with a two-run homer while third basemen Michaela Kane went 3-for-3 at the plate with three runs scored.

For the Ravens right hander Abbie Paquette (Biddeford, Maine) got the nod on the hill and pitched three innings as she allowed four hits, four runs – two earned while punching out two batters. Centerfielder Cassidy Sorenson (Billerica, Mass.) had a 1-for-3 day with a run scored and designated player Dominique Bisaccia (Yorktown Heights, N.Y.) drove home Sorenson in the top of the fifth with an RBI two-bagger.

Saint Anselm cracked the scoreboard in the bottom half of the second inning as a two out fielding miscue on a Jordan O'Connor swing plated Michaela Kane and Maggie Murphy. Saint Anselm would put up a one, one and four spot over the next three innings with Murrell's bomb being the key blow.

 Game Two: Hawks 8, Ravens 1 (Final)

Morgan Perry received the start in game two for Saint A's and matched her teammate with a complete game while allowing four hits, one unearned run and two walks. Murrell stayed hot in the batter's box in game two as she was 3-for-3 with a solo jack and a free pass. Centerfielder Amanda Bickford recorded four hits in four plate appearances with a game and team high four RBI.

The Raven two, three and four hitters combined to go 4-for-8 (.500) in the game as shortstop Jaclyn Cortese (Upton, Mass.) led the way with a two hit effort as Ashley Deyo (Dover, N.H.) added a base knock and Sorenson went 1-for-3 with a stolen base.

Franklin Pierce opened the scoring in the top of the first as Cortese and Deyo reached base on singles. Sorenson plated Cortese on an error by the Hawks centerfielder to make it 1-0. With runners at the corners and two outs, Sorenson stole second to put two runners in scoring position. Perry buckled down and induced a fly out to center and a line out to left for the final outs.

The Hawks got the run back in the bottom of the first as Murrell drove in Bickford who reached base via a single on a Raven error. The Hawks pushed across a single run in the bottom half of the second and fourth frames before exploding for five in the bottom of the fifth as Murrell led off the inning with a dinger down the right field line to take game two 8-1.  

The Ravens will open their home schedule tomorrow with a contest versus Saint Anselm at 4:00 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).