RINDGE, N.H. (4/7/23) - The Franklin Pierce University softball team split a Northeast-10 Conference doubleheader with Bentley University on Friday afternoon, dropping the opener 4-2 while coming back after a 5-3 deficit to take the nightcap by a score of 7-5 at Bisaccia Field.

The split brings Pierce softball to a 20-11 (4-2 NE10) overall record, while Bentley moves to a 17-9 (8-2 NE10) following the days events.

GAME #1

The Raven offense would strike first in the bottom half of the first inning on a scoring double to center field by senior Melissa Konopinski (Butler, N.J.), plating one run. The 1-0 lead would hold out through three scoreless innings, until the top of the fourth where the Falcons answered back with two of their own on respective RBI singles from Sabrina Grizzaffi and Sam Petow. Bentley would go on to score another pair of runs in the top of the fifth, this time via RBI singles  by Dahlia Fink and Sabrina Grizzaffi to opposite sides of the field, putting Pierce in a 4-1 hole.

In the bottom of the fifth, sophomore Bella Williams (Phoenix, Ariz.) helped the Ravens out by cutting the deficit to two runs on an RBI single to right field. However, the score would not budge from then all the way to the bottom of the seventh, where the host Ravens saw one final chance to make a comeback.

To start things off sophomore Lita Vorseth (Mesa,Ariz.) delivered a single to left field, which set up junior Susannah Campos (Lemoore,Calif.) for a walk two batters down the road with two outs. Despite having the two runners on base, Bella Williams would be forced into the groundout to second base to end the game and Bentley would claim the win.

In the circle, freshman Savannah Arreguin (Pacoima,Calif.) made her eighth start of the season and pitched through 4.1 innings allowing four runs off ten hits and one walks while fanning one batter for the loss. (5-3). Junior Abby Poirot (Winstead,Conn.) would relieve Arregiun and pitch through 2.1 innings allowing just three hits with a pair of strikeouts.

GAME #2

In game two of the afternoon twin bill, the Ravens would jump out to the early 2-0 advantage in the bottom of the first by way of an Ashley Cangiano (North Attleboro, Mass.) RBI double to left center and a Lita Vorseth RBI single up the middle. In the bottom of the second, Pierce would further their lead by plating another two runs, this time scoring on a Hannah Wodecki (Southampton, Mass.) RBI double to center and a Haley Bigwood (Athol,Mass.) RBI on a walk.

However, Bentley would not go away so easily and would answer back in a big way with five runs in the top of in the third, catapulting themselves into the lead. Their five runs would come by way of an RBI single to left field by Jordan Krause, a two RBI single from Dahlia Fink, a scoring single to center field by Kaylee Mankins, and an RBI single to left center field by Jess Trahan.

After the fifth inning debacle, the Ravens would bounce back and take advantage of a passed ball that got through Ella Hillier, allowing Savannah Arreguin enough time to trot home to tie the game at 5-5. In the bottom of the fifth, Pierce would officially claim the lead back on consecutive scoring drives by freshman Hannah Wodecki and Susannah Campos, with Wodecki's coming as her first collegiate triple to give Pierce the 7-5 lead.

That would be enough for Franklin Pierce to claim the victory, as neither side would score again.

Junior Abbey Poirot worked through three innings in her eighth start of the season, allowing five runs on eight hits with one strikeout. Junior Sabrina Gonzalez (Chandler, Ariz.) would enter in relief of Poirot and pitch through the final four innings of the game, allowing no runs on three hits, one walk while striking out four to earn the win (6-3).

Franklin Pierce University Softball will enjoy the weekend break before returning to conference play in Colchester, Vermont against Saint Michael's College on Monday, April 10^th. The doubleheader with the Purple Knights is scheduled for 12:00 p.m. and 2:00 p.m. starts.