Sixth Inning Rally Not Enough As Assumption Hangs On To Best Ravens

RINDGE, N.H. (April 22, 2018) – Trailing 9-3 in the bottom of the sixth inning, the Franklin Pierce University softball team scored four times to pull within two, but the Ravens were held out of the scoring column in the bottom of the seventh as Northeast-10 Conference opponent Assumption College completed the season series sweep with a 9-7 victory Sunday afternoon at the Bisaccia Softball Complex. With the win, the Greyhounds race out to 17-11, 12-6 NE10 and the Crimson and Grey lost their 21st contest overall and 14th in league play.

Raven senior third basemen Aubrey Bianco (Marlboro, N.Y.) tallied two hits, two walks, one run scored, a double and an RBI. Teammate Rachel Vecchiarelli (Wappingers Falls, N.Y.) entered the game as a pinch hitter and was a factor down the stretch. The newcomer produced a 2-for-2 effort with a double, RBI, one run scored and one walk. Sabrina LoMonaco (Franklin, Mass.) earned the start for FPU, but only hurled two innings. She was relieved by Bianco and eventually Cyrena Zemaitis (Goshen, Conn.) who struck out four batters in four innings of work.

Assumption shortstop Alyssa Beaton and first basemen Stephanie Menard brought home three RBI apiece. Menard chipped in a two-bagger and a homer as well. Kendal Roy earned the victory improving to 9-6 on the season allowing on three runs and striking out two batters.

With one away in the bottom of the first, Raven shortstop Ashley Rosario (Queensbury, N.Y.) flared a single just over the head of Beaton. She promptly stole second base and Cassidy Sorenson (Billerica, Mass.) worked a walk to put runners and first and second with two down. Bianco stepped to the plate and roped a line dive double into the left centerfield gap to score Rosario to push FPU ahead 1-0.

In the top of the second, the bases were loaded with two outs following a Victoria Petrie single and back-to-back free passes to Brooke Murphy and Haley Drakoulakos. Beaton deposited a low liner to left field, which brought home two runs easily. However, the Raven left fielder let the ball go through her legs and all the way to the fence as the third run came around the bases and Beaton advanced to second base after the miscue.

Two frames later, Assumption poured on five runs off a walk, a passed ball, a groundout to short and the big blow, a Menard double to deep centerfield that caromed off the base of the fence to move the guests ahead 8-1. The Ravens earned two of those runs back in the bottom of the inning as Vecchiarelli slapped an opposite-field single and catcher Ashley Conway (Salem, N.H.) smoked a two-out single up the middle to cut into the deficit to 8-3.

During the top of the sixth, Menard barreled a ball over the center field fence with the wind blowing in to add another run to their total at 9-3. In the bottom of the sixth, there were two outs and the Ravens began to mount a comeback bid. Pinch hitter Bre Eastlick (Rocklin, Calif.) began the binge by singling to left field. The Ravens remained patient as the next four batters all reached via free passes including Rosario and senior right field Jaclyn Cortese (Upton, Mass.) who were credited with RBI. Sorenson dropped in a single to shallow center to bring the deficit down to two, 9-7 as the Greyhounds ended the inning and allowed only one hit in the bottom of the seventh.  

The Ravens remain at home on Tuesday for a 3:00 p.m. showdown with conference opponent Southern New Hampshire University.

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). You can also follow the softball team on Twitter (https://twitter.com/fFPUSoftball_) and Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/fpu_ravens_softball).