RINDGE, N.H. (4/15/23) – On Saturday afternoon, The Franklin Pierce University softball squad split a Northeast-10 Conference doubleheader against Pace University, dropping the afternoon opener, 4-0 before bouncing back with a mercy-rule 11-0 win in game two at Bisaccia Field.

With the swapped shutouts, the Ravens move to a 25-12 (9-3 NE10) overall record while the Setters move to a 19-15 (9-4 NE10) overall record.

GAME #1

In the top of the first, Pace would put Pierce in an early 2-0 hole by way of a two-RBI single to left field by Carolina Iturriaga. Following two scoreless innings, the Setters would add another run to their lead on a scoring double, again to left, from Kaylee Matsuda. Then, in the top of the fifth, the offensive output for the first game would be completed as Iturriaga delivered again for the Setters, this time on a sacrifice fly-out to right field, bringing the score to 4-0.

Giselle Garcia successfully silenced the Raven bats throughout the majority of the game, at least up until the bottom of the seventh inning when junior Haley Bigwood (Athol, Mass.) would double down the left field line, breaking the no-hitter bid. However, the Ravens would not be able to get anything going beyond that, falling by a 4-0 score in game one.

In the circle, junior Abby Poirot (Winstead, Conn.) made her tenth start of the season and tossed through four innings, allowing a trio of runs on five hits and four walks while striking out one. Freshman Savannah Arreguin ( Pacoima, Calif.) came in to relieve Poirot through the final three innings, allowing one run on three hits.

GAME #2

To say the least, it would be a completely different story in game two for the Ravens.  

In the top of the first, Franklin Pierce would execute the double steal to score sophomore Bella Williams (Phoenix, Ariz.) for their first run of the day. Then, senior Melissa Konopinski (Butler, N.J.) would connect for an RBI single to center to plate a run, just before another scoring single to right-center by sophomore Lita Vorseth (Mesa, Ariz.) would give Pierce the early 3-0 edge.

Later on, in the bottom of third, junior Ashley Cangiano (North Attleboro, Mass.) would get behind a ball for a two-run blast over the center field fence, making it 5-0 Ravens with her sixth bomb of the season. Then, Lita Vorseth (Mesa, Ariz.) and freshman Hannah Wodecki (Southampton, Mass.) would each grab an RBI before the completion of the inning, bringing the score to 7-0 in favor of the hosts.

In the fourth, with bases loaded, Ashley Cangiano made program history in the best way possible with her second homer of the day, a grand slam, to become the program's all-time leader in career RBI. No more damage was needed beyond that, as the score would remain 11-0 all the way to the fifth inning, where Pierce inflicted the mercy rule to claim the Saturday split.

In the circle, junior Sabrina Gonzalez  (Chandler, Ariz.) made her tenth start of the season and  tossed her second consecutive complete game, pitching five innings while allowing no runs on two hits and one walk with four strikeouts.

The Franklin Pierce University softball team will now turn its focus to a doubleheader tomorrow afternoon against in-conference opponent, No.17 Adelphi University. Game times are set for 12:00 and 2:00 p.m.