Recap by student-staff writer Rich Rosa 

CALDWELL, N.J (3/22/2024) – The Franklin Pierce softball team tallied a win and a loss during Friday afternoon's doubleheader with Caldwell University. With the split series, the Ravens improve to 9-5 on the season.  

Score (Game 1): Franklin Pierce 6, Caldwell 7 (F/8 Innings)
Score (Game 2): Franklin Pierce 8, Caldwell 5
Records: Franklin Pierce (9-5, 0-0 NE-10), Caldwell (12-8, 2-0 CACC) 
Location: Caldwell, N.J (Caldwell Athletic Field) 
Date: Friday, March 22, 2024 

HOW IT HAPPENED: 

• In Game 1 of the doubleheader, Franklin Pierce got on the board first in the fifth inning. Freshman designated player Georgia Clough (Barriere, British Columbia) had an RBI single, scoring senior third baseman Haley Bigwood (Athol, MA). In the bottom of the fifth, Caldwell scored three runs to take a 3-1 lead. Junior shortstop Ashley Tavaska blasted a two-run home run to right field. Then, graduate third baseman Riley Riendeau had an RBI single, scoring freshman Taylor Quinn. 

• In the top of the sixth, junior first baseman Anna Erikson (Temecula, CA) had a two RBI double, scoring senior catcher Ashley Cangiano (North Attleboro, MA) and sophomore outfielder Andie Anderson (Phoenix, AZ) to tie the game at three. Next, Bigwood had an RBI single, scoring Erikson to give Franklin Pierce a 4-3 lead. In the bottom of the sixth, Caldwell tied the game at four when Tavaska had an RBI double. 

• The game remained tied at four at the end of the seventh inning, and it was time for extras. In the top of the eighth, Erikson had her second hit when she singled to center field, scoring Cangiano to make it 5-4. Franklin Pierce added another run when junior infielder Lita Vorseth (Mesa, AZ) reached first base and junior outfielder Bella Williams (Phoenix, AZ) scored to give Franklin Pierce a 6-4 lead. 

• In the bottom of the eighth, Caldwell scored three runs to take game one of the doubleheader 7-6, when Tavaska had a three-RBI walk-off triple for her third hit of the game. Franklin Pierce's loss in game one snapped their five-game winning streak. 

• In Game 2, Caldwell scored two runs in the bottom of the first. Quinn singled down the left field line, scoring Tavaska and junior infielder Grace Vondracek. In the top of the second, Franklin Pierce scored four runs. Sophomore infielder Kierra Warrix (Indianapolis, Ind.) had an RBI double, scoring Vorseth. Next, Cangiano had a three-run home run for her third home run of the season to make it 4-2 Franklin Pierce. Tavaska tied the game at four in the bottom of the second when she singled to right field. 

• In the top of the third, freshman infielder Charlit Hartenstein (Massapequa, NY) had an RBI single, scoring Warrix to make it 5-4 Franklin Pierce. In the bottom of the fourth, Tavaska had another RBI single to tie the game at five. 

• Franklin Pierce took over in the top of the fifth, where they scored three runs. Hartenstein got her second hit of the game, scoring Warrix when she singled to center field. Freshman pitcher Raylee Gilbert (Waterville, ME) came in as a pinch hitter and had an RBI single, scoring Clough. Cangiano finished it off with a double down the left field, scoring Hartenstein. The Ravens held on and beat Caldwell 8-5. 

BREAKING DOWN THE NUMBERS: 

• In Game 1 of the doubleheader, Caldwell outhit Franklin Pierce 13-5. Senior pitcher Samantha Sylvester (Morris, CT) got the start and pitched 4.1 innings. She gave up six hits, three runs, one walk, and struck out one batter. Freshman pitcher Kennedy Morris (Stafford, CT) came in relief and pitched 2.2 innings. She gave up five hits, one run, one walk, and struck out three batters. Senior pitcher Sabrina Gonzalez (Chandler, AZ) pitched the eighth inning and picked up her first loss of the season. She gave up two hits and one run. 

• Erikson went two for four and had three RBIs. Bigwood went one for two, with an RBI and scored a run. 

• In Game 2, both teams had 12 hits. Gonzalez got the start, pitched five innings, and got her fourth win of the season. She gave up 11 hits, three runs, two walks, and struck out three batters. Sylvester pitched the final two innings in relief and captured her first save of the season. She gave up only one hit, no runs, and struck out three batters. 

• Cangiano went two for five with four RBIs, Warrix went one for three and scored three runs, and Hartenstein went two for three with two RBIs.  

NEXT FOR THE RAVENS: A string of postponements due to weather have pushed the Ravens' next game to Friday March 29th on the road at Adelphi.