MANCHESTER, N.H.—The Southern New Hampshire University softball team won both ends of Thursday's doubleheader with Franklin Pierce University, posting 8-0 and 7-1 Northeast-10 Conference wins. With the wins, the Penmen improve to 16-20 overall and `4-8 in NE-10 action, while the losses drop the visiting Ravens to 9-23 overall and 7-13 in league play.
In the opener, the Penmen took a 3-0 lead after two innings of play as Cara Daly (Plainville, Mass.), Christy Jenkins (Hudson, Mass.) and Jessica Douillette (Concord, N.H.) all crossed the plate to tally runs for the Penmen. SNHU would add two more runs in the fourth on a homerun by Douillette and three in the fifth to take the 8-0 lead and enact the NCAA mercy rule, shorting the game to five innings.
Jenkins led the Penmen with two hits in the opener, while five Penmen each connected for a hit apiece. Dolores Mattice (Schenectady, N.Y.) earned the win in the circle, sacrificing just one hit in five innings of work while striking out eight and walking four.
In the nightcap, which started at dusk and was played under temporary lights as part of SNHU's annual home night game, the Penmen found themselves down 1-0 entering the bottom of the first inning after three-straight walks followed by a double by Franklin Pierce's Jessica Furtado scored lead-off batter Emily Griffin.
The Penmen would not respond until the bottom of the second inning, when the Penmen connected for six hits, including three doubles, to score five runs. The Penmen would add two more runs in the fifth inning as pinch-runner Natalie Metta (Norwood, Mass.), scored on a double by Melissa Vitagliano (Bedford, N.H.). Jessica Berardi (Raynham, Mass.) was then entered to pinch-run for Vitagliano, and scored on a single by Brittany Young (Merrimack, N.H.) to give the Penmen the 7-1 advantage.
Kate Stanley (Kingston, Mass.), Elena Anderson (Salem, Wisc.) and Vitagliano all finished with two hits for SNHU in the nightcap.
Kelsey Griffin (Scarborough, Maine) earned the win in the circle for the Penmen, scattering just three hits in seven innings of work while walking six and striking out five.
Southern New Hampshire returns to action tomorrow when it hosts American International College in Northeast-10 doubleheader action at Penmen Field. First pitch is scheduled for 3:00 p.m.
