Softball Upended by Franklin Pierce in Tuesday Doubleheader

4/13/2010 12:00:00 AM

RINDGE, NH – Dropping game one 3-2 in extra innings and game two 6-3, the Merrimack College softball team suffered a sweep at Franklin Pierce University Tuesday afternoon on the FPU softball field.

With the losses, the Warriors fall to 10-17 on the year and 6-8 in Northeast-10 Conference play having dropped the last six outings.  The Ravens improved to 12-15 and 7-7 in Conference play.

Merrimack got on the scoreboard first in game one on a sacrifice hit from senior captain Emily Cummings (Andover, MA) when she drove home Kara Melillo (North Andover, MA) with the bases loaded.

Taking a 1-0 lead into the bottom of the third, the Ravens scored a pair of unearned runs to go up 2-1 in the bottom of the third.  Senior Atlee Cahill (Gloucester, MA) would later record her second single of the afternoon in the sixth inning to drive in a run and knot the score at two. 

With a tie through seven innings, the teams went to extra innings but the Warriors were retired in order in the top of the eighth.  Franklin Pierce, on the other hand, got three straight runners aboard before Merrimack issued their third walk of the inning and walked in the winning run to arrive at a 3-2 final.

Pitching 7.0 innings and allowing one earned run, freshman Kelli Jo Deardorff (Bedford, MA) struck out a season-high eight batters in game one.

In game two, Merrimack again jumped out to a lead with two runs in the first and one in the second inning.  Melillo was responsible for the first two runs in inning one in her only hit of the game.

Holding the Ravens scoreless through three innings, the Warriors' defense gave way in the fourth and fifth innings, giving up a combined five runs to give Franklin Pierce the lead for good at 6-3.

Allowing just three earned runs, the Warriors single error in the fourth led to four runs and a sixth straight loss for Merrimack.

The Warriors look to snap their losing skid on Saturday against Assumption College in a 12:00pm doubleheader at home to kick off a six-game home stand.