ASTON, Pa. (March 17, 2019) – The Franklin Pierce University softball team wrapped up their four-game weekend set against East Stroudsburg University by splitting a pair of games on Saint Patrick's Day at the Maplezone Sports Complex. The Warriors walked off the Ravens after Pierce rallied to tie in the top of the seventh to take the first game 5-4 until the Ravens enacted revenge with a 6-1, 11 hit second game win. The Ravens improve their mark to 3-9 overall while ESU goes to 9-11.

Junior team captain Ashley Conway (Salem, N.H.) and freshman catcher Allie Martinez (Upland, Calif.) starred on offense for Pierce. Conway whacked her first career round-tripper in the game two win combining to go 3-for-7 with four RBI, a double, two runs scored and a free pass. Martinez completed both games at 5-for-7 tallying a double, 2 RBI, one run scored and one walk. Freshman Cat Simmons (Pine Plains, N.Y.) extended her hit streak to 10 games with a 3-for-8 twinbill effort.

In the circle, sophomore right-hander Cyrena Zemaitis (Goshen, Conn.) tossed a complete game four-hitter notching 11 strikeouts while seeing her record move to 3-4 on the young season. The 11 punchouts were a season-high for Zemaitis and it gave her 195 career K's guiding her to second place all-time in program history passing Kara Hofsaes' (1995-98) previous total of 186. Courtney Jacobs (2006-09) is atop the strikeout leaderboard with 454.

Game One: Warriors 5, Ravens 4 (Final)

Three Ravens recorded multi-hit efforts including Martinez, Simmons and left fielder Jess Rego (Richmond, R.I.) who went 2-for-3 with a double and an RBI. Simmons smoked her first career triple in the walk-off defeat. Left hander Amelia Mamone (Averill Park, N.Y.) took the loss allowing five runs on eight hits while manufacturing three strikeouts.

Shortstop Denva Shaw-Tait hit the walk-off double going 2-for-4 at the dish. Eight hole hitter, first basemen Rachel Seiverd was 2-for-3 with a two bagger and two RBI.

The Crimson and Grey drew first blood in the top of the first. Martinez singled to center and then galloped into second on a wild pitch. Second basemen Kaitlyn Rooney (Shirley, Mass.) sacrificed Martinez to third base and she was promptly plated via Simmons' barrel triple to center. Simmons was stranded and third base as the guests led 1-0. FPU tacked on another run in the top of the third when Rego roped a two-out double increasing the advantage to 2-0.

East Stroudsburg tied the ballgame in the home half of the fourth due to timely two out hitting off the bat of Seiverd who lined a two run double. The Warriors jumped ahead 4-2 in the sixth when Mickayla Grow helped out her own cause with a triple and Ashley Spencer followed with a groundout to second.

Trailing by two in their final at bats, Martinez spearheaded a late surge by reaching first on an error by the Warriors shortstop. Rooney then replaced Martinez at first due to a fielder's choice for the first out. Simmons pulled a one out single to left putting the tying run on first base. Sophomore outfielder Caitlyn Munzing (Beverly, Mass.) pinch ran for Simmons and ended up scoring off a Conway game tying double, but she was thrown out trying to take an extra base. Center fielder Gina Hinckley (Lancaster, Mass.) rifled a two-out double and was gunned down at third base after being caught in a rundown.

Shaw-Tait ended the game in the bottom of the seventh with a walk-off double.

Game Two: Ravens 6, Warriors 1 (Final)

Zemaitis hurled her fourth complete game of the season striking out 11 batters and allowing an unearned run to score. Martinez was 3-for-4 with a double and two RBI while Conway connected on her first ever tater. Shaw-Tait went 1-for-2 with an RBI for the home squad.

The Warriors jumped ahead 1-0 in the bottom of the first after Zemaitis punched out Hazewski, but reached first on a dropped third strike. The ESU right fielder immediately stole second and third base and was brought in by a Shaw-Tait sacrifice fly.  

In the bottom of the third inning, Zemaitis picked off Lexi Wright for the second out of the inning. After the Ravens scored four runs in the top of the fourth off of five hits, a Hinckley single to center, a shortstop Ashley Rosario (Queensbury, N.Y.) RBI single and a Martinez two-run double, Conway picked off Marissa Govan at first to end the bottom of the fourth keeping Pierce in front 4-1. Conway added two insurance tallies in the top of the fifth homering driving home Simmons who reached via a fielding miscue upping the Raven edge to 6-1. Zemaitis would not allow a run over the final three frames as she sent five Warriors back to the dugout by way of the K for her third win of the campaign.

Franklin Pierce concludes their six-game road trip with two duels tomorrow at Kutztown University with first pitch slated for 12:00 and 2:00 p.m.

For more information on Franklin Pierce Athletics, please visit the official website of Franklin Pierce Athletics (http://fpuravens.com). Also be sure to follow the Ravens through the Department of Athletics' official Facebook page (http://www.facebook.com/FranklinPierceRavens), its YouTube channel (http://www.youtube.com/franklinpiercesports) and its Twitter feed (http://twitter.com/FPUathletics). Fans wishing to purchase Franklin Pierce softball apparel can do so at the Department of Athletics' online store (http://fpuravens.com). You can also follow the softball team on Twitter (https://twitter.com/FPUSoftball_) and Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/fpu_ravens_softball).