MANCHESTER, N.H. – The Southern New Hampshire softball team swept Franklin Pierce University for its fourth straight win Tuesday evening in Northeast-10 Conference action. With the wins, the Penmen improve to 13-8, while the Ravens fall to 3-16.

Kelsea Cheney (Abington, Mass.), who tied the all-time hit record at 157 in a sweep against Pace last weekend, notched three hits in the doubleheader today to surpass the record and become the all-time career hit leader in program history with 160. 

In the first game of the doubleheader, SNHU scored four early runs in the first inning to defeat the Ravens by a score of 7-2.

The first inning surge was powered by three Penmen hits including a lead off double from Ali Maloof (Norwood, Mass.) followed by a Cheney rip up the middle to score Maloof. With two Penmen on base, a Ravens error scored one more run, and a Morgan Farmer (Kingston, N.H.) single scored Cheney. Franklin Pierce walked in the fourth run of the inning, and Southern New Hampshire took a 4-0 lead into the second inning.

The teams traded runs in the third inning when Courtney Caputo singled up the middle to score Megan Bird who reached on a double for the first Raven run, and Cristy Jenkins (Hudson, N.H.) led off the bottom of the inning with a solo homerun to right field.

The Ravens scored one more run in the fourth inning, but Southern New Hampshire answered back in the fifth when Farmer homered to center field to score two more runs. 

Maloof earned her sixth win in the circle while pitching a complete game with 12 strikeouts and allowing just two runs. Mandi Adee was credited with the loss for Franklin Pierce as she pitched 4.1 innings with one strikeouts and giving up eight hits.

In the nightcap, the Penmen blanked the Ravens by a score of 7-0 after taking an early first inning lead and scoring four six inning runs.

With the bases loaded in the first inning, Franklin Pierce walked in the first Penmen run, and a sacrifice fly boosted the lead to 2-0 at the end of the inning.

SNHU scored one more run in the fifth inning when Holly Eicher (Stoneham, Mass.) hit an RBI single up the middle to score Katie Caruso (Londonderry, N.H.) who pinch ran for Cara Daly (Plainville, Mass.) after hitting a double.

With two outs in the sixth inning, the Penmen scored four more runs to secure the win. Kate Stanley (Kingston, Mass.) doubled to left center to put two in scoring position, followed by a Cheney single that scored two runs. Two consecutive walks loaded the bases, and Farmer doubled to center field to score the final runs of the game.

Dolores Mattice (Schenectady, N.Y.) earned the win for SNHU while pitching seven innings, striking out seven batters, and allowing just two hits, while Rachel Allen gave up seven hits, three runs, and struck out two batters for Franklin Pierce.

The Penmen return to action tomorrow when they host Saint Michael's in a conference doubleheader at 4:00 and 6:00 p.m. on Penmen Field.