Softball Shuts Out & Sweeps Sunday Matchups In Myrtle Beach

GAME ONE: v. Stevenson University

Myrtle Beach, S.C. (March 13, 2022) – Following their first win of the season Friday afternoon, the Franklin Pierce University softball team took to the once again at the North Myrtle Beach Sports Complex for the first of three scheduled Sunday matchups, beginning with Division III opponent Stevenson University. Sophomore Sabrina Gonzalez (Chandler, Ariz.) worked the full seven innings for a complete game shutout, defeating Stevenson by a 3-0 final.

With the win the Ravens improve their season record to 2-0. The Mustangs earn their first loss of the campaign and move their record to 2-1 with the loss.

Franklin Pierce threatened to open the scoring in the bottom of the second inning with the middle of the Ravens lineup getting their first swings of the day. Sophomore Ashley Cangiano (North Attleboro, Mass.) led off the inning with a ball hit to the wall in right field allowing for a chance to reach third base, but a ground out and a pair of strikeouts for Madison Sherrid in the circle for the chargers kept the score even at zero.

The Mustangs got their first dangerous scoring opportunity in the top of the fourth inning with runners on second and third, and one out. First year Kiera Parker led off the inning with a single up the right side, then Kat Perea reached on a fielding error by Ravens first baseman Gina Hinkley (Lancaster, Mass.). The duo moved along thanks to a sacrifice bunt, but Gonzalez and the defense shut the door keeping the game scoreless.

 The bottom of the fourth started with a walk by freshman Bella Williams (Phoenix, Ariz.) who then advanced to second on a stolen base the very next at bat. Cangiano picked up a walk of her own to join Williams on the base paths with one gone in the inning. Senior Allie Martinez (Upland, Calif.) brought Williams across home plate with a single up the middle giving the Ravens a 1-0 lead.

 The bottom of the fifth started out well for the Ravens with a leadoff double from sophomore Jenna Murray (Wilbraham, Mass.). Senior Maiah Lopez (Oxnard, Calif.) reached base on a fielding error allowing Murray to advance to third with no outs in the inning. Murray then crossed home on the next at bat thanks to a single by junior Melissa Konopinski (Butler, NJ). Williams followed up with a sacrifice bunt to advance the runners to second and third with one out. A fielding error brought home another run for the Ravens in the form of pinch runner Ari Rodriguez (Clinton, Mass.), but the inning ended on Cangiano trying to advance to second on the play.

 With Franklin Pierce now leading 3-0 Stevenson took to the plat in the top of the sixth inning looking to close the deficit. Junior Kat Perea started with a bloop single over the third baseman's head, but once again Gonzalez and the Ravens defense held the Mustangs off the board.

 In the bottom of the inning junior Hailey Melchert (Lake Orion, Mich.) picked up a single on a soft contact fly ball that found grass in right field. Sophomore Maleena Davis (Tehachapi, Calif.) entered as a pinch runner and advanced to second on a wild pitch but couldn't get any farther thanks to an inning ending strikeout for Sherrid.

Needing a big seventh inning to stay alive the Mustangs weren't able to get any runs off of Gonzalez allowing the Ravens to earn the 3-0 win.

Gonzalez moves to 1-0 this season earning the complete game shutout in her first start of the year amounting 4 strikeouts and 7 hits in 7 innings. Sherrid moves her record to 0-1 to start the season fanning 7 Ravens, but allowing 2 earned runs on 5 hits and 2 walks in 6 innings.

Franklin Pierce follows up the morning game with an afternoon matchup against Suffolk at 12:30 p.m.

GAME TWO: v. Suffolk University

Myrtle Beach, S.C (March 13, 2022)- Softball, following their win in the first matchup of the day versus Stevenson University, decided they liked the shutout victory. So much, in fact, they decided to go 2-2, taking on Suffolk University and securing another shutout, defeating the Rams by a final score of 4-0.

Senior pitcher Abbey Primavera (Spring Hill, Fla.) took the mound in this one, after claiming her first victory of the season on Friday. Also performing through the full seven innings, Primavera struck out seven total batters, while only allowing seven hits. With the win, she improves to 2-0 on the season, while the team moves to 3-0.

Sophomore Ashley Cangiano (North Attleboro, Mass.) got things rolling for the Ravens after two quick outs in the first inning. Upon reaching first base off of a walk, Cangiano stole second for her third stolen base of the season, putting the Ravens in scoring position. The next batter, Susannah Campos (Lemoore, Cali.), sent a single into center field, providing enough time for Cangiano to book it home for the Ravens first lead of the game.

After a quieter second inning, the Ravens found the scoresheet again in the third, with Ashley Cangiano once again finding home plate. The run came off of a double to center field, courtesy of freshman shortstop Lita Vorseth (Mesa, Ariz.), who chalked up her fourth RBI of the season (her second double).

The sixth inning proved to be the deal breaker for the Ravens, scoring two runs to make it tougher on the Rams. With one out, junior Hailey Melchert (Lake Orion, Mich.) received a free pass to first base, and was replaced by second year infielder Molly Magnette (Ayer, Mass.) as the pinch runner. Magnette, in an attempt to steal second, used a throwing error by the Rams to advance all the way to third base. After another walk, and another throwing error by the Rams catcher, the Ravens found themselves with the bases loaded. Senior infielder Maiah Lopez (Oxnard, Cali.) wasted no time, hitting a single and scoring the runner at third, while keeping the bases loaded. The fourth run came unearned for the Ravens, with freshman Anna Erikson (Temecula, Ariz.) scoring off of another Rams walk.  

The Ravens completed Sunday with a shutout sweep of two teams, with the third game of the evening getting cancelled due to time constraints. The Birds will be back in action in Myrtle Beach tomorrow 3/14 with a pair of matchups versus Mansfield University, with the first game scheduled to begin at 9:30 AM E.T.