RINDGE, N.H. (April 22, 2021) – It was a cold, but record-setting afternoon for the Franklin Pierce University softball team at the Bisaccia Softball Field on Thursday against Bentley. In the first game, graduate student left-hander Amelia Mamone (Averill Park, N.Y.) made her 86^th career appearance in the circle for the Ravens, establishing a new program record in a 7-2 Franklin Pierce win. In the second game, Franklin Pierce hammered out 17 runs on 21 hits to win a wild, 17-13 affair, while graduate student Madi Killebrew (Dana Point, Calif.) drove in a school-record six runs.

With the wins, Franklin Pierce improves to 12-6 (11-5 NE10), while Bentley falls to 7-11 (7-11 NE10). The Ravens swept the four-game season series from the Falcons.

Game 1: Franklin Pierce 7, Bentley 2

The afternoon's offense got started in the second inning. Freshman Ashley Cangiano (North Attleboro, Mass.) ripped a ball down the third-base line for a one-out double. Graduate student Jess Rego (Richmond, R.I.) advanced Cangiano to third with a single, and then sophomore Ari Rodriguez (Clinton, Mass.) hit a sacrifice fly to open the scoring.

Franklin Pierce added two more in the bottom of the third inning with a two-run blast to center by junior Allie Martinez (Upland, Calif.).

Two more in the fourth pushed the lead out to 5-0. Cangiano hit a ball deep to right field for a double, then advanced to third on a wild pitch. Rego followed up with a triple into right field for her second RBI of the game. Rodriguez then hit her second sacrifice fly to score Rego.

The Falcons got two runs back in the top of the fifth inning to make it 5-2. Junior Ella Hillier doubled to right-center, which allowed graduate student Stacey Korotsky and senior Lindsey Allen to score. The Ravens would get both of the runs back in the bottom of the inning. With the bases loaded, Cangiano picked up her third hit of the game. The ball ricocheted off of the third baseman and into foul territory, which gave Killebrew and freshman Molly Magnette (Ayer, Mass.) enough time to cross home plate.

Freshman right-hander Samantha Sylvester (Morris, Conn.) started the afternoon in the circle for the Ravens. She pitched five innings, gave up two runs on five hits and struck out four en route to the win (2-0). In her record-setting relief appearance, Mamone threw the final two scoreless innings, allowed two hits and struck out one.

Junior right-hander Elise Pereira (3-4) started the game for Bentley, worked three innings and gave up five runs on six hits in the loss.

Game 2: Franklin Pierce 17, Bentley 13

The second game of the doubleheader got off to an electric start, as the Ravens scored 11 runs on eight hits in the bottom of the first inning, highlighted by a Killebrew two-run home run. The Ravens added another run in the bottom of the second inning to extend the lead to 12-0, as Martinez brought home Magnette on an RBI single.

Bentley plated six runs in the top of the fourth to cut the lead in half, and both offenses stayed busy the rest of the day. The Falcons scored three times each in the fifth and sixth, while Franklin Pierce managed one in the fourth and two in the fifth, which left the Ravens with a much slimmer, 15-12 lead heading to the last of the sixth.

Franklin Pierce snagged a pair of insurance runs in the sixth inning to give the team a bit of breathing room. Freshman Susannah Campos (Lemoore, Calif.) singled through the left side, Rodriguez socked a double to right-center and both later came around to score on an error. Bentley picked up a run in the top of the seventh to cut the final deficit to 17-13, but it was not enough to complete the comeback.

Senior right-hander Cyrena Zemaitis (Goshen, Conn.) threw the first three innings and later came back for the sixth as well, to pick up the win (8-1) for the Ravens. Over four total innings of work, she allowed three runs on five hits, walked one and struck out six.

Freshman right-hander Payton Doiron (3-4) started for Bentley and was greeted rudely, as she recorded just one out before departing the game initially. She returned in the fourth and wound up logging three innings in the game. Doiron was ultimately charged with 11 runs (nine earned) on 10 hits, walked four and struck out two.

The Ravens are scheduled to return to action on Saturday, April 24, for a noon doubleheader at Stonehill.