STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. (2/27/23) - The Franklin Pierce University softball team made their presence known in their return to the east region on Monday afternoon, easily handling Alliance University in a twin-bill sweep with winning scores of 12-0 and 12-1. 

With the pair of wins, Pierce softball improves to 5-4 on the season while Alliance opens their new season 0-2. 

Game #1

Out of the gate, the Ravens would begin to bury the Knights with a four run first inning. To kick it all off, freshman Savannah Arreguin (Pacoima, Calif.) would make her way home on the throw attempt to catch junior Ashley Cangiano (North Attleboro, Mass.) stealing second, putting the Ravens ahead 1-0 with a runner still in scoring position. Their second run of the inning would come in similar fashion, as this time around it would be Cangiano finding her way home on a throw to second, attempting to pick off Haley Bigwood (Athol, Mass.) on another steal attempt. Two batters later, senior Hailey Melchert (Lake Orion, Mich.) would reach second on an error by the Alliance left fielder, buying enough time for Bigwood to cross home plate to make it a 3-0 game. With a runner still occupying second, senior Melissa Konopinski (Butler, N.J.) would drive in their fourth run on an RBI single to left field, completing the scoring in the first inning for Pierce.

In the second inning, the scoring would continue for the Ravens as Haley Bigwood would plate a runner by way of a double to right field, which would then be followed by a two RBI single to left center by sophomore Lita Voresth (Mesa, Ariz.). By the end of the second inning, Pierce had opened it up to a 7-0 lead.

However, the Ravens would find a way to score again in the top of the fourth inning, as Ashley Cangiano would take third on two separate steals, setting up Vorseth for a sacrifice ground out to the shortstop to make it 8-0. Then, in the fifth inning, sophomore Anna Erikson (Temecula, Calif.) would go yard on a solo home run to left center field, her second of the season. In the next at bat, junior Molly Magnette (Ayer, Mass.) then followed the Erikson homer with an infield single, eventually making her way across home plate on a Savannah Arreguin double, courtesy of another fielding error by the Warriors.

To continue the onslaught, sophomore Bella Williams (Phoenix, Ariz.) would plate another run on a double up the middle, before scoring herself on a Cangiano triple to the gap in left center. With the score way out of reach at 12-0, the Ravens would open the day with a five-inning mercy rule win over Alliance.

In the circle, junior Samantha Sylvester (Morris, Conn.) made her third start of the season for the Ravens, and would toss all five innings to claim the shutout, allowing one hit allowed with five total strikeouts.

Game #2

As was the case in the first game, the Ravens came right out of the dugout swinging in the top of the first inning. With one out, Ashley Cangiano would open the scoring on a RBI tripled up the middle, bringing home Bella Williams who had been walked for the 1-0 lead. Directly afterward, Haley Bigwood would score Cangiano from third on a singled to left center, making it 2-0 to close out the introductory inning.

Following a scoreless second inning, Bigwood would come back for more in the top of the third with a single right back to left center, plating two runs. With a pair of runners in scoring position, senior Ari Rodriguez (Clinton, Mass.) would then score some more with a two-RBI single, with the second run resulting from a pickle situation that distracted the Alliance catcher from protecting the plate.

Later on in the fifth, Lita Voresth would match Rodriguez' two-RBI single to bring the score to 8-0 in favor of the Ravens. However, in the bottom half of the fifth, Alliance would avoid the shutout with a sacrifice flyout, plating their first run of the day to make it 8-1.

To put the finishing touches on a dominating day, senior Alexis Briggs (Lockport, N.Y.) would lay down a perfect bunt to score a runner from third, eventually rounding all three bases to score herself following a costly throwing error by the Alliance third baseman. Two batters later, Cangiano would connect for her second triple of the day to inflict more damage, scoring two more runs en route to the Ravens' second mercy rule of the doubleheader matchup, 12-1.

Junior pitcher Sabrina Gonzalez (Chandler, Ariz.) started in the circle for game two, and would pitch through four innings with one run allowed on two hits and two strikeouts. Junior Abby Poirot (Winsted, Conn.) entered to close out the game in the final inning, striking out one with two forced two fly outs to end the game.

Softball makes their home debut this coming Sunday, March 5^th with a doubleheader matchup against regional opponent Post University, with first pitches at 12:00 p.m. and 2:00 p.m.