Rachel Allen pitches complete game with six strikeouts and zero walks in game two

COLCHESTER, Vt. (March 25, 2012) -- The Franklin Pierce University softball team snapped a six-game skid in an impressive way on Sunday as the Ravens swept Saint Michael's in a doubleheader in Colchester, Vt. The Ravens downed the Purple Knights 5-2 in game one and 4-2 in game two to run their record to 5-8 overall, but more importantly, 3-1 in the Northeast-10. St. Mike's fell to 3-11 and 1-5 in league play.

Freshman first baseman Laura Eidam (Stamford, Conn.) had an outstanding day at the dish for the Ravens as she went a combined 4-for-6 in both games, including driving in three runs in game two. Sophomore Jamie Wiley (Cape Vincent, N.Y.) went 3-for-7 during both games, drove in three runs in game one and scored another run in game two. Senior Jayme Bilafer (Concord, Mass.) had two hits on the day with an RBI and reached base four times as she also drew a pair of walks. Junior Jessica Furtado (Taunton, Mass.) had two hits on the afternoon, while driving in two runs and scoring two more.

Franklin Pierce also got tremendous performances in the pitching circle, including junior Rachel Allen (Hull, Mass.), who pitched a complete game in the day's second contest while scattering six hits, yielding just one earned run, striking out six and yielding zero walks.

Freshman Jessica Colson (Feeding Hills, Mass.) got the start in game one and went four innings, giving up two runs on six hits. Like Allen, she did not yield a walk and struck out three of her own. In fact, the Ravens did not allow a base on balls all afternoon.

Trailing 1-0 and heading into the third inning of game one, the Ravens exploded for four runs in the frame to kick-start their impressive afternoon. Furtado drove in the first two runs with a single to left field, which plated senior Meaghan O'Neal (Littleton, Mass.) and freshman Alicia Dean (Danvers, Mass.) on the play. O'Neal reached by leading off the frame with a single and Dean drew a walk a couple of batters later. Junior Megan Bird (Laconia, N.H.) advanced both runners into scoring position as she stroked a single through the left side. Wiley followed Furtado at the plate and brought her and Bird in to score as she smashed a double to left-center field.

St. Mike's got a run back in the fourth on an RBI single from Sarah Murray, but that was the last threat by the Purple Knights in game one.

Franklin Pierce tacked on an insurance run in the fifth as Dean drew a lead-off walk and came around to score a few batters later on Wiley's RBI infield single.

Freshman Kaitlyn Johnson (New Boston, N.H.) came on in relief of Colson in the bottom of the fifth and did not allow a hit over her three innings of work to earn her first career save.

Franklin Pierce got the scoring started in game two as it plated a run in both the second and third innings and pushed across a pair in the fifth to earn the victory.

Bilafer delivered a two-out RBI single to right-center field in the second inning, which plated senior Jamie Verner (Natick, Mass.), who reached via an infield single to lead off the frame. Verner was able to get into scoring position for Bilafer's at-bat as Eidam lined a base hit into left center.

The Ravens scratched out another two-out run in the third inning and it all started with freshman Karissa Forzese (Methuen, Mass.) reaching on an infield single and moving up to second on a wild pitch. Verner followed and laced a single through the left side, which allowed Forzese to advance to third. Eidam followed and sent an 0-2 pitch back up through the middle of the infield for an RBI single, scoring Forzese.

The Purple Knights got on the board with a run in the fourth inning to pull within 2-1. Bethany Falls led off with a single, moved to second on a sacrifice bunt and eventually scored on a Franklin Pierce fielding error.

Saint Michael's, though, found out that a potential rally would be a steep one to pull off as Eidam singled in a pair of runs in the fourth to make it 4-1 Franklin Pierce. She sent an 0-1 pitch into right-center field, bringing in Wiley and Furtado on the play, who reached via a single and fielding error, respectively.

The Purple Knights did get a run back in the fifth with an Amanda Brigante RBI single to make it 4-2. And St. Mike's did put a pair of runners on base in the seventh inning, but Allen struck out Greer Lemnah to close out the game and pick up the victory.

Franklin Pierce returns to action Monday when the Ravens open up their home portion of the 2012 schedule by playing host to Bentley in a double dip beginning at 3 p.m. at the FPU Softball Field.

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).