Furtado goes 4-for-7

Game One Box Score
Game Two Box Score

BRIARCLIFF, N.Y. (April 10, 2010) – Freshman catcher Jessica Furtado (Taunton, Mass.) went 4-for-7 and drove in two runs on Saturday afternoon, as the Franklin Pierce University softball team split a Northeast-10 Conference doubleheader against Pace at Pace Field. Franklin Pierce won the day's first game, 3-2, in come-from-behind fashion, and then lost the second game, 5-3.

With the split, Franklin Pierce is now 10-15 (5-7 Northeast-10), while Pace moves to 13-13 (1-7 Northeast-10).

In the first game, Franklin Pierce opened the scoring with a run in the top of the first inning. With one out, sophomore center fielder Jayme Bilafer (Concord, Mass.) beat out an infield single and moved to right field on a passed ball. She would score two batters later on an RBI single to right field by Furtado.

Pace would answer with two runs of its own in the home half of the first to take a 2-1 lead. Sophomore catcher Kayla Nelson let off with a single into left field and would score three batters later when junior designated player Olivia Calcagnini clubbed her team-leading fifth home run to left field.

From there, Pace would hold the 2-1 lead through the next four innings before Franklin Pierce struck for a run in the top of the sixth inning to tie the game at 2-2. With one out, Furtado reached on a fielding error and was lifted for sophomore pinch runner Jamie Verner (Natick, Mass.). Two batters later, junior right fielder Nicole Pratt (Gardner, Mass.) knocked a single into left field that was misplayed by Pace senior left fielder Amanda Dague, which allowed Verner to score all the way from first.

Senior designated player Kristen Tracy (Putnam Valley, N.Y.) then capped the rally for Franklin Pierce with a solo home run to lead off the top of the seventh inning. Tracy's first home run of the season gave the Ravens a 3-2 lead and junior right-hander Kayla Johnson (Hudson, N.H.) worked around a pair of singles in the bottom of the seventh to close out her complete-game victory.

Over the full seven innings, Johnson allowed two runs on 10 hits, walked one and struck out four to pick up the win (3-7) in the circle for Franklin Pierce in the first game.

Freshman left-hander Chelsea Shea threw a complete game as well, but took the loss (3-2) for Pace. She gave up three runs (one earned) on eight hits, did not issue a walk and struck out three.

In the second game, Pace opened the scoring with a pair of runs in the bottom of the first inning and never gave up the lead the rest of the way. With one out, sophomore center fielder Nicole Schultheis singled to center field and moved to second when sophomore right fielder Larissa Porcelli reached on an error. Calcagnini followed and drove in her third run of the game with an RBI double to right field, though the play also saw Porcelli thrown out at home while trying to score from first. Calcagnini would come home to score from second when Shea, who played first base in the second game, reached on an error.

Franklin Pierce cut the lead in half and made it 2-1 with a run in the top of the third inning. Bilafer got things started with a double to left field and scored two batters later when Furtado followed with a double of her own to center.

From there, the game went without a run for a couple innings before Pace stretched the lead to 5-1 with three runs in the bottom of the sixth inning. Porcelli led off with a single to center field and moved around to third on a double to left by Calcagnini. After a walk to Shea loaded the bases, senior third baseman Kerri McLean knocked an RBI single to right field that brought home Porcelli and kept the bases loaded. Junior right-handed pitcher Samantha Poulsen and Dague then brought home Calcagnini and Shea, respectively, with back-to-back sacrifice flies.

Franklin Pierce picked up two runs in the top of the seventh inning to close the final gap to 5-3. With one out, Furtado singled to left and was lifted for junior pinch runner Melissa Wade (Taunton, Mass.) who later scored on a two-run home run to left by Pratt, her first of the season.

Sophomore right-hander Jessica Wiley (Cape Vincent, N.Y.) threw a complete game and took the loss (5-5) for Franklin Pierce in the second game. Over six innings, she allowed five runs (four earned) on eight hits, walked one and struck out three.

Poulsen took the ball and picked up the win (5-3) for Pace while tossing a complete game. She surrendered three runs on seven hits, walked four and struck out two.

The Ravens return to the field on Tuesday, April 13, when they return home to host Merrimack in a Northeast-10 Conference doubleheader. First pitch is scheduled for 3 p.m. in Rindge, N.H.