Just the second time in program history the Ravens start off the season at 2-0

Freshman pitcher Kaitlyn Johnson picked up the win in each of her first two collegiate appearances in the circle. She pitched a complete-game shutout win over UMass-Lowell on Saturday.

CLERMONT, Fla. (March 17, 2012) -- The Franklin Pierce University softball team opened up its 2012 season in fine fashion on Friday and Saturday with two wins in its first three games at the National Training Center in Clermont, Fla. The Ravens downed Bridgeport, 7-3, in the season opener on Friday night and then split its Northeast-10 Conference doubleheader with UMass-Lowell on Saturday, including a 1-0 win in game one and a tough 2-0 setback in game two. The Ravens are 2-1 overall and 1-1 in the NE-10 and are currently on their annual spring break trip to the state of Florida.

The two-consecutive wins to open the season marked the first time since 2006 and just the second time in program history that feat was accomplished. The 2006 start, however, came against two Division III programs. This year's outstanding start comes under the guidance of first-year head coach Christine Grenache.

The Ravens exploded for seven runs in Friday night's win over the Purple Knights and it all started in the first inning when junior catcher Jessica Furtado (Taunton, Mass.) doubled home a pair of runs to make it 2-0 Franklin Pierce.

Franklin Pierce tacked on a run in the second and two more in the third, but found itself leading by a slim 5-3 margin heading into the sixth inning. Senior catcher Jamie Verner (Natick, Mass.) broke it open and sealed the victory as she singled home two runs to set the final margin. Freshman first baseman Alicia Dean (Danvers, Mass.) drew two walks in the game and scored twice in her collegiate debut.

In the pitching circle, freshman Kaitlyn Johnson (New Boston, N.H.) got the start and went 2.0 innings to earn the win. She struck out three in her collegiate debut. 

Johnson turned in a spectacular performance in the first game of Saturday's doubleheader against UMass-Lowell (1-0 victory) as she went all seven innings and scattered six hits with seven strikeouts and two walks to earn the complete-game shutout victory to improve to 2-0 on the season. She retired the River Hawks in order in the second, third and fifth innings.

The Ravens got the only run it needed in the fifth inning when senior outfielder Rachel Baxter (Cumberland, R.I.) singled to left field to bring in sophomore pinch runner Megan Bird (Laconia, N.H.). Sophomore Ashley Noke (Cumberland, R.I.) and Baxter each had two hits in the game, while Dean collected the Ravens other hit.

In game two, the Ravens had their chances, but couldn't come up with the necessary runs in a tough 2-0 setback to the River Hawks. Six different Ravens pounded out a hit, but Lowell pitcher Courtney Lanfranchi yielded just six hits with five strikeouts and no walks over 7.0 innings of work to earn the victory. Ali Ferraro and Krista MacKenzie each drove in a run for the River Hawks. Ferraro had an outstanding day at the plate going 3-for-3. Junior pitcher Rachel Allen (Hull, Mass.) took the loss in the circle for the Ravens.

Franklin Pierce returns to action Sunday when the Ravens take on Merrimack in a non-conference game at 11 a.m., and then face NYIT at 1 p.m. 

For more information on Franklin Pierce softball, please visit the team's page at athletics.franklinpierce.edu(.) To follow the program even further, please visit Franklin Pierce Athletics on YouTube (www.youtube.com/FranklinPierceSports), Twitter (www.twitter.com/FPUathletics) and Facebook (www.facebook.com/FranklinPierceRavens).