Springfield, Mass. (4/30/22) – With their regular season coming to a close on Saturday afternoon, the Franklin Pierce University softball team battled American International College in a road doubleheader. The Ravens opened the afternoon with an 11-3 mercy-rule victory through six innings, and closed it out with a 6-4 final to sweep the Yellowjackets on the road.

Franklin Pierce improves to 29-9 overall following the sweep, while the Yellowjackets fall to 4-38 to finish their season.

Game One:

Franklin Pierce got the scoring started in the first inning with a two-out rally, as sophomore Ashley Cangiano (North Attleboro, Mass.) plated the game's first run off of an RBI single up the middle, with freshman Lita Vorseth (Mesa, Ariz.) camped out at second base. The Yellowjackets would not get a chance to respond in the bottom half, going down quickly with just one hit allowed.

Both teams would also go scoreless through the second inning, before Cangiano returned for more with her second RBI single of the day, once again to center field. The Ravens would keep the hold on the Yellowjackets with the bases loaded, working a walk to Bella Williams (Phoenix, Ariz.) to score another run for a 3-0 lead.  However, AIC would not go quietly this time, and would cut the Ravens lead to 3-2 off a two- run scoring triple from Abigail Wells.

Franklin Pierce put together another solid inning in the top of the fourth, plating four runs on just two hits. A pair of walks and a passed ball gave the Ravens some options at first and second base, and with two outs graduate infielder Gina Hinckley (Lancaster, Mass.) kept the hit location consistent with a single to center field, scoring an RBI to make it a 4-2 game. In the next at bat, Ashley Cangiano tacked on some more with her fourth home run of the season with a three-run shot to left field. The Ravens would exit the inning with the 7-3 lead.

A scoreless fifth inning energized the Ravens for another four-run advance in the sixth. With the bases loaded, Cangiano added another pair of runs off a single down the right field line, finalizing a new single-game career high with seven RBI's. both senior Allie Martinez (Upland, Calif.) and sophomore Haley Bigwood (Athol, Mass.) would also contribute to the inning's success, rounding out the score at 11-3 to complete the mercy-rule.

In her 14^th start of the season, Sabrina Gonzalez (Chandler, Ariz.) tossed a full six innings while allowing three runs on five total hits, striking out four batters while moving to 14-2 with the win. Isabella Erti and Riley Sullivan each saw time in the circle for AIC, with Erti (2-17) allowing five runs on five hits with one strikeout in the loss.

Game Two:

The offense picked up where it left off to open the afternoon's second contest, with the Ravens making quick work off a triple to right-center field from junior outfielder Melissa Konopinski (Butler, N.J.). Freshman infielder Lita Vorseth then bought some time for Konopinski to score with a sacrifice fly-out to right field. AIC sought to keep things closer in the bottom of the first inning, however, responding with a run of their own off a single up the middle from first year Leah Twyman with a runner at second base.

Franklin Pierce would go on to score a run in both the second and third innings. Senior Maiah Lopez (Oxnard, Calif.) scored in similar fashion to the game's first run, sending a sacrifice fly ball to center field to advance a runner from third. In the third inning, catcher Allie Martinez plated the third run with a single to the gap in left center, unearned.

The upper portion of the fifth inning provided the Ravens with some insurance, scoring three more runs to extend their lead to 6-1. With a pair of runners at first and second, Ashley Cangiano added onto her career day with an RBI double to center field. The Ravens continued to capitalize on the sacrificial plays, with a fly-out to center from Allie Martinez driving in a runner from third. Freshman Bella Williams delivered the final run after laying down a bunt, beating out the throw from the AIC catcher, scoring Cangiano.

With the 6-1 lead, AIC turned some heads with three runs scored in the bottom of the seventh. With runners at second and third, graduate Noelle Gramlich found some luck with an infield single from an off target throw to first, scoring both runners. Now with two outs, Gramlich found a path home off a drive to right field from Abigail Wells, bringing the score to within two runs at 6-4. However, it would be all the Yellowjackets could cook up in the final game.

Junior Madison Labrie (New Ipswich, N.H.) started in the circle for game two, pitching through the first two innings allowing one run on one hit. Senior Abbey Primavera (Spring Hill, Fla.) joined the action in the third, tossing through the final five innings, striking out one batter with three runs scored off five hits allowed. The senior moves to 11-5 following the win.

With the conclusion of the regular season, Franklin Pierce finishes as the #3 seed and receives a buy through the first round of the NE10 Tournament. The Ravens will open the playoffs on Thursday, May 5^th and face the winner of Tuesday's #7 Bentley at #6 Assumption matchup, with all games for the NE10 Championship Weekend hosted by top-seeded Adelphi University in Garden City, New York.