BOX SCORE

When and Where: April 24, 2017 – Manchester, N.H. (SNHU Softball Field)
Score: Southern New Hampshire University 9, Franklin Pierce University 0
Records: SNHU 21-17 (7-11 Northeast-10 Conference), FPU 1-28 (1-14 Northeast-10 Conference)

Freshman Gabriella Vachon (Newton, Mass.) hurled a three-hit, complete-game shutout and helped her own cause at the plate by going 2-for-3 with a pair of RBI, as the Southern New Hampshire University softball team breezed to a 9-0 win in five innings against Franklin Pierce University on Monday afternoon.

Senior Erin Morrissey (Commack, N.Y.) also went 2-for-3 with two RBI and two runs scored, while sophomore Erin Garczynski (Norwood, Mass.) was a perfect 3-for-3 with two runs and junior Brittany Perdigao (Stoughton, Mass.) finished 2-for-2 with a walk, RBI and run scored.

Southern New Hampshire wasted no time jumping all over the Ravens, as infield singles by Perdigao and Garczynski, sandwiched around a walk to junior Katie Horiuchi (Livingston, N.J.), loaded the bases with no outs in the first inning. A passed ball brought home Perdigao with the game's first run, before freshman Jordan Wade (East Taunton, Mass.) battled in an 11-pitch at bat – facing an 0-2 hole for four straight pitches – and finally drove a two-run single back up the middle to make it 3-0.

Morrissey would drive in Wade two batters later with a shot back up the middle, while Vachon and freshman Hannah Neverett (Nashua, N.H.) legged out back-to-back infield singles on grounders hit to the shortstop to load the bases with two outs. Perdigao followed by hitting one into the hole between first and second base and then raced down the line to beat the second baseman's throw for the third straight infield hit that stretched the early advantage to 5-0.

The Penmen went right back to work in the bottom of the second as another walk to Horiuchi, a Garczynski base knock to center and a sacrifice bunt from senior Jessica Torsiello (Morris Plains, N.J.) put a pair in scoring position with one out. Later in the inning, SNHU would pound out three straight two-out RBI hits to widen the gap. Run-scoring singles by senior Devan Rabidou (Ashland, Mass.) and Morrissey brought in the first two runs, with Vachon smacking what would be scored a two-run double to center after the outfielder dove, but could not catch it cleanly, to make it 9-0.

Vachon (4-3) would mostly cruise in the circle from there, retiring six straight to end it. She allowed three hits and just four base runners all game, while fanning five and not walking a batter, in five innings.

Notes:
- The victory pulls the Penmen, who have won five of seven, even with Stonehill College for the fourth and final playoff spot in the NE10 Northeast Division.
- The game, which saw just 143 pitches thrown, including 57 by Vachon, took just 59 minutes to complete.
- SNHU pounded out 12 hits in the victory.
- Southern New Hampshire outscored Franklin Pierce, 40-6, in the three-game regular-season sweep.
- Garczynski sits third in the Northeast-10 in runs batted in (31), and ranks in the top-four in hits (50, second), home runs (6, fourth) and total bases (75, second). Her .407 batting average is good enough for fifth in the league, while her .610 slugging percentage is the third-highest in the conference.

What's Next:
The Penmen return to action Wednesday (April 26) when they take on Bentley University in doubleheader action beginning at 3 p.m. The next home game for SNHU is Thursday (April 27) when it plays host to Stonehill on the SNHU Softball Field at 5 p.m.

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