Myrtle Beach, S.C. (March 11, 2022) – Following yesterdays cancellations due to weather the Franklin Pierce University softball team opened up its regular season schedule with a commanding 12-3 win over Warriors of Rochester University. Reigning NE10 Rookie of the Year Sophomore Ashley Cangiano (North Attleboro, Mass.), and freshman Lita Vorseth (Mesa, Ariz.) batted in 3 runs each in the high scoring affair.

With the win Franklin Pierce starts the 2022 campaign 1-0 for the third consecutive season while Rochester (Mich.) starts their schedule 0-1.

Scoring was opened early by the Warriors in the top of the first inning. With one out in the inning and the bases loaded junior Elizabeth Bees hit a sacrifice fly out towards center field to score Audrey Soares.

The Ravens then scored 12 unanswered runs starting with the tying run in the bottom of the first. Junior Melissa Konopinski (Butler, NJ) started the inning with a double to left field, then scored on a Cangiano single through the left side three batters later. Quickly the Ravens took a 3-1 lead thanks to a bases loaded double by Vorseth later in the inning scoring Cangiano and graduate student Gina Hinkley (Lancaster, Mass.).

The second inning was the most effective on both sides of the ball starting with a 1,2,3 top half of the inning including a strikeout and 2 fielding assists by the Franklin Pierce starting pitcher senior Abbey Primavera (Spring Hill, Fla.). The bottom of the inning brought 5 runs and extended the Ravens lead to 8-1. Three straight singles to start the inning and load the bases followed by a walk, hit by pitch, and another walk scored the first two runs for Franklin Pierce. Sophomore Haley Bigwood (Athol, Mass,) hit a sacrifice to center field to score the fourth, and then a fielding error by the third baseman brought Cangiano across home plate for the fifth run of the half inning.

The offense didn't slow down in the bottom of the third inning adding another three runs to the total. Hinkley tripled on a ball hit to left field then scored on the next at bat on a Cangiano double. Senior Ally Martinez (Upland, Calif.) then brought Cangiano around to score on a single. Sophomore Maleena Davis (Tehachapi, Calif.) entered the game as a pinch runner for Martinez and scored on a groundout by Vorseth. The Ravens added one more run in the fourth inning on a fielding error bringing Sophomore Molly Magnette (Ayer, Mass.) across the plate, and the score to 12-1.

Tasked with a large mountain to climb the Warriors added a pair of runs on a double by senior Lauren Donaldson, but wasn't able to amount a comeback in the season opening 12-3 loss.

Primavera (1-0) earned the win in her first start of the year working 4.1 innings and allowing only a single earned run on 3 hits and fanning 3. Freshman Breana Crum (0-1) surrendered 7 earned runs on 6 hits in the losing effort.

Next up for the Ravens in Myrtle Beach is an early 9:30 a.m. game against the Bulldogs of Barton College tomorrow March 12^th.