Rindge, N.H. (4/20/22) – Franklin Pierce Softball returned home following eight straight road games, hosting in-state opponent Saint Anselm College in mid-week doubleheader action. After a closely battled first game loss of 5-4 in extra innings, the Ravens emerged triumphant and rallied for a dominant 11-5 win in game two to split the evening with the Hawks.

With the split, the Ravens hold strong with a 23-5 (11-5 NE10) overall record this season. The Hawks move to 20-13 (13-5 NE10) this season.

Game One:

The lengthy first game started rather quickly for Franklin Pierce after jumping to a quick 3-0 lead in the first inning. With a pair of runners in scoring position, graduate infielder Gina Hinckley (Lancaster, Mass.) got things started with a double to center field, scoring the runner from third base. Hawks starting pitcher Haile Hicks sent the next two batters back to the dugout with back-to-back strikeouts, before facing sophomore Haley Bigwood (Athol, Mass.). Bigwood would score both runners from the corners on another double, this time to left field.

Saint Anselm outfielder Stephanie Tardugno began the Hawks pull-back in the fourth inning with a runner on base, sending a two-run shot over the left field fence for the Hawks, cutting the Ravens lead down to 3-2. Using the momentum, the Hawks would pull ahead for the first time on the afternoon in the top of the fifth inning, working off a single up the middle from Bre Klaiber, scoring a pair of runs to turn the tables on the Ravens.

Trailing 4-3 in the bottom half, freshman Lita Vorseth (Mesa, Ariz.) introduced a new ballgame with an infield hit that became an error at third base for the Hawks, scoring a runner from second to tie it at 4-4. Things were then kept scoreless through five more full innings with dominant defensive play from both sides.

Having already played into extras, international tiebreaker rules were put into place, with the Hawks climbing in front with a single run scored by Ava Caputo in the top of the 11^th inning resulting from a fielding error by the Ravens. The lone run ended up proving pivotal as the Hawks would hold off the Ravens to claim the 5-4 win.

Senior Abbey Primavera (Spring Hill, Fla.) started in the circle for Franklin Pierce, finishing 5.1 innings while collecting three strikeouts. Sophomore pitcher Sabrina Gonzalez (Chandler, Ariz.) assisted in the second half, pitching through 5.2 innings with four strikeouts on the afternoon in relief.

Hawks starter Haile Hicks was lights out for the Hawks, pitching through the full 11 innings, throwing a whopping 182 total pitches, allowing 8 hits and finishing with a total of 14 strikeouts.

Game Two:

Franklin Pierce reignited their offense after falling behind 3-0 in the opening inning, returning in the bottom of the second with six straight tallies.

Ravens' centerfielder Melissa Konopinski (Butler, N.J.) started the busy inning off with a long triple to the center field fence, and later crossed home plate off a scoring single from senior Allie Martinez (Upland, Calif.). Directly thereafter, freshman Anna Erikson (Temecula, Calif.) sent another triple threat ball to right field, scoring Martinez. Franklin Pierce would then find themselves at the top of the batting order once again, scoring Erikson from third to tie the game on a sacrifice fly-out from Bella Williams (Phoenix, Ariz.). The scoring finale for the inning came aggressively off the bat of graduate Gina Hinckley (Lancaster, Mass.), securing her team-leading seventh home run of the season with a three-run shot to left center for a 6-3 Ravens lead.  

The Ravens would then extend their lead to 8-3 with another pair of scored runs in the third inning, sending home Anna Erikson once again on a fielder's choice play, as well as senior Maiah Lopez (Oxnard, Calif.) on an infield error.

The upper portion of the sixth inning showed a response from the Hawks after going scoreless through four straight, using back-to-back singles to eventually score off a double to right field from Bre Klaiber. In quick succession, the next at-bat added another run with a sacrifice fly-out from junior Kylee Royer.

A two-run double in the bottom of the sixth from Bella Williams provided the Ravens with the insurance they needed, adding their final runs en-route to their 11-5 victory.

Both Abbey Primavera (Spring Hill, Fla.) and Sabrina Gonzalez (Chandler, Ariz.) returned to action in game two, with Gonzalez swapping for the start, completing 6.0 innings with six hits allowed and five strikeouts to claim her 11^th victory this season for the Ravens. Primavera was up to the task in the final inning, allowing no hits with a single strikeout in relief.

Softball remains home through the weekend with a pair of doubleheaders on deck, beginning on Saturday April, 23^rd as the Ravens host Saint Rose at 12 PM and 2 PM.