RINDGE, N.H. (April 13, 2015) – Senior Alicia Dean (Danvers, Mass.) found her offensive groove on Monday afternoon, going 3-5 over two games with a solo home run. Despite the solid offense from the lefty first baseman, the Franklin Pierce University Ravens combined for only seven other hits combined over the two games as they were swept by the number 20 nationally ranked Southern New Hampshire University Penman by scores of 10-2 and 3-2 in eight innings at the Bisaccia Memorial Softball Complex.

With the losses, the Ravens drop to 3-10 overall (3-9 Northeast-10), while Southern New Hampshire improves to 18-5 overall (7-2 Northeast-10) and continue to sit towards the top in the Northeast Division standings.

Game one disappeared quickly for the Ravens, as the Penman were able to jump on pitcher Mandi Adee (Kinderhook, N.Y.) early on. Baserunners were plentiful in inning one, as the Penman got one run and Adee was able to pitch out of a bases loaded jam to end the inning. The Ravens would make sure to equalize in the bottom half of the first, as freshman Samantha Bonvino (Milford, Mass.) knocked a single into shallow right field to score junior Julie Gallagher (Flanders, N.J.) from second, tying the game at 1-1.

In the second inning, Southern New Hampshire would bat around the order and score five runs to extend their lead quickly out to 6-1 after two, and grab another two runs on a home run from Ali Maloof in the third to make the score 8-1. Freshman Jaclyn Cortese (Upton, Mass.) would provide the relief in the circle for Adee, and shut the door on the Penman after the Maloof dinger.

In the bottom of the third, Dean would step up and smack a 1-1 pitch over the right field fence for her first home run of the season, making the score 8-2 Ravens. That would be the rest of the scoring for the Ravens in the game, and the Penman would crack Cortese for two more, including a home run from Jessica Torsiello in the top of the sixth. Southern New Hampshire would take the victory 10-2.

Game two brought a whole different perspective to it, as the Ravens would throw junior and staff ace Tricia Hansen (Mansfield, Mass.) in the circle. Even though it appeared as Southern New Hampshire would blow things up again early on with two doubles and one run, Hansen calmed things down afterward.

It also helped that the Ravens were able to respond back in the bottom of the first, as freshman Cassidy Sorenson (Billerica, Mass.) launched a solo home run off of Penman pitcher Nicole Gubellini to tie things up at 1-1.

After a scoreless second inning from both sides, Southern New Hampshire struck again in the third inning. Senior Ali Maloof would single to lead off the inning, and would find her way around the bases after a two-out single from Erin Morressey, giving the Penman a one-run edge 2-1.

Sorenson's home run was the only hit Gubellini would give up until the bottom of the fourth, when Hanson would single up the middle to lead off the inning. But Gubellini got the Ravens to go 1-2-3 after that to end the threat.

But in the bottom of the sixth, it would be Dean's leadoff bunt single and advancing to second on a throwing error to spark the offense again. Two consecutive bunts from Gallagher, then a squeeze from Hansen to score Dean to tie things at two.

Throughout it all, Hansen held strong in the circle and was able to slam the door on the high powered Penmen offense, giving the Ravens a chance to win in the bottom of the seventh.

Junior Erin Wood (Dover Plains, N.Y.) would start things off with a leadoff double to the left center field gap, followed by a Jamie Wiley (Cape Vincent, N.Y.) walk two batters later. Junior Courtney Caputo (Stony Brook, N.Y.) would hit a ground ball to shortstop, getting thrown out at first for the second out of the inning. Both Wood and Wiley were able to advance on the play, setting up the winning run at third base. But Gubellini was able to strike out junior Morgan Cahill (Saratoga Springs, N.Y.) for the third out, sending the game to extras.

Hansen started off well in the eighth, retiring the first two batters of the inning on ground outs. Then Torsiello stepped in and connected with a solo home run over the left field fence with two outs to give Southern New Hampshire the 3-2 advantage. Hansen would get the next batter to ground out to escape the inning.

The pressure mounted on the Penman, as Franklin Pierce refused to go down without a fight. It would be Dean's third and final hit of the day, a line drive over the second baseman, to start off the inning. After Gallagher popped out to the catcher, the offense strung together. Hansen would put down a bunt single, followed by a hard hit single through into right field by Sorenson to load the bases with only one out.

It would be Gubellini with the last laugh, as she was able to bare down in the clutch and strike out both Wood and Bonvino to end the game and give the Penman the win.

Behind Dean's three hit effort was two-hit days from Hansen and Sorenson. The other three hits were collected by Cahill, Wood, and Wiley. Adee took the loss in the circle in game one, while Hansen took the loss in game two.

The Ravens return to the diamond tomorrow, Tuesday, April 14 as they take on the Saint Michael's College Purple Knights in a single matchup at Bisaccia Memorial Softball Complex beginning at 3 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' brand new online store (http://athletics.franklinpierce.edu/store).