TUCSON, ARIZ. (2/20/23) – The 2023 season officially got underway for Franklin Pierce softball on Thursday (2/16) morning, as they made the short hop down to Tucson, Arizona to participate in the Cactus Classic Tournament. To open the trip, the Ravens claimed a pair of victories over regional opponent Mercyhurst University, by a game one final of 8-7, and a game two final of 5-4.

Softball starts out 2-0 following opening day, while Mercyhurst falls to 0-2 early on.

GAME #1: v. Mercyhurst University

The first three innings of play was nothing more than a defensive battle between the Ravens and the Lakers, but it would eventually be Mercyhurst that would strike the first blow. In the top of the fourth inning, the Lakers would jump ahead to a 2-0 advantage with the bases loaded, with one run scoring off a walk and the other on a sacrifice fly-out. However, the Ravens were determined to keep things even, and would respond to tie it at 2-all on an Ana Erikson (Temecula, Calif.) two-run home run, the first of her collegiate career, in the bottom half of the inning.

The Ravens would eventually gain their first lead of the contest in what was a high-scoring fifth inning. Trailing by two runs, with the bases loaded, senior Melissa Konopisnki (Butler, N.J.) used her speed with an infield single, managing to draw the attention away from the baserunner at third for the RBI. With the situation remaining the same, Erikson returned to the plate with another single, this time to left field, once again bringing home a runner from third to make it a 4-4 game. Following a Laker pitching change, the Ravens continued to capitalize on loaded bases as newcomer Hannah Wodecki (Southampton, Mass.) drove in another runner off a third consecutive single, collecting her first collegiate hit and RBI, helping Pierce to a 6-4 lead entering the sixth inning.

Junior Ashley Cangiano (North Attleboro, Mass.) would extend the Raven lead to 7-4 with a solo homer to left field in the bottom of the sixth, but it would not provide enough of a cushion to stop a top-seventh comeback by Mercyhurst. The bats would come alive for the Lakers in the final inning, as the score would be brought to a 7-7 deadlock following three runs off five hits.

With the stage set for the walk-off, Erikson would complete her day at the plate with a single-turned-triple after a throwing error by the Mercyhurst third baseman, setting up Ari Rodriguez (Clinton, Mass.), for the eventual game winning drive to left field to score the winning run, 8-7.

Junior Sabrina Gonzalez (Chandler, Ariz.) was credited with the win for the Ravens, after pitching 2.2 innings with three runs allowed on six Laker hits. Freshman Savannah Arreguin (Pacoima, Calif.) also saw time in the circle, tossing 4.1 innings with four runs allowed on two hits.