Late Homers Help Softball Split with FPU
Links: Box Score (G1) | Box Score (G2)
RINDGE, N.H. – Down by a run in the top of the seventh, seniors Lindsay Gibbs (Acton, Mass.) and Jennifer Post (Orange, Conn.) homered in back-to-back at-bats as part of a four-run inning, leading the Merrimack College softball team to a come-from-behind victory in Game 1 over Franklin Pierce. The Ravens would use their own rally in Game 2 to split the doubleheader.
The Basics
Score (G1): Merrimack 4, Franklin Pierce 1
Score (G2): Franklin Pierce 2, Merrimack 1
Records: Merrimack (7-12, 1-1 NE Div.) | Franklin Pierce (1-1, 2-1 NE Div.)
Location: Bisaccia Softball Complex | Rindge, N.H.
How It Happened
In Game 1, both sides' starting pitching was locked and loaded, as neither team mustered any offense through six and a half innings as sophomore Haley Currie (Burlington, Mass.) cruised along.
That changed in the bottom of the sixth, as Franklin Pierce finally untied the game with a run, but that would only spur a furious Warrior rally in the top of the seventh. Needing at least a run to stave off a loss, Gibbs smashed her second home run of the season to tie the game before Post followed up with her first long ball since her freshman season, as the back-to-back jacks sparked a four-run inning to complete the comeback victory.
Currie wound up with eight strikeouts while yielding five hits and a walk to improve to 4-3 on the year.
But Game 2 saw Franklin Pierce return the favor with a late rally of its own. After an RBI double off the bat of Gibbs plated freshman Abby Desrosiers (Chelmsford, Mass.) in the top of the sixth, Franklin Pierce responded with a solo home run in the home half of the inning to draw even at 1-1.
Merrimack nearly took the lead right back after sophomore Samantha Waskowitz (Killingworth, Conn.) tripled in the top of the seventh, but that was the farthest she'd get.
In the bottom of the seventh, back-to-back walks with one put the winning run at second; junior Alexis Perry (Westford, Vt.), who entered in relief of starter and freshman Courtney Zambello (Sharon, Mass.), then had to deal with runners at second and third after a double steal. Perry got the second out via a swinging strikeout, but with the infield in, Franklin Pierce took advantage of the shallow infield depth and walked off with the victory by means of a single to the left side of the diamond to split the doubleheader.
Inside The Numbers
- Sophomore Mariah Tenney (Winchendon, Mass.) led all Merrimack hitters with four hits in seven at-bats (.571) and went 2-for-2 on the bases
- Tenney, Gibbs, and seniors Stephanie Lapierre (Berlin, Conn.) and Becca Armstrong (Methuen, Mass.) all tallied doubles
- As a team, Merrimack smacked 17 hits over two games compared to 12 for Franklin Pierce
- The Warriors stranded 16 base runners over the course of two games
- Zambello was very strong in Game 2, striking out five with four walks and six hits allowed over 6-1/3 innings
Up Next
Merrimack and Franklin Pierce conclude the weekend doubleheader tomorrow (April 3) starting at 2 p.m. Only the first game of the twin bill will count in the league divisional standings.
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