RINDGE, N.H. – The Saint Anselm College softball team pulled out a thrilling game one victory, a 5-4 victory in 11 innings, before falling in the second game, 11-5, to Franklin Pierce University on Wednesday.
Saint Anselm comes out of the doubleheader with an overall record of 20-13 alongside a 13-5 record in Northeast-10 Conference play. With the game one victory, the Hawks have now won at least 20 games for the sixth time in the last eight full seasons under Head Coach Jill Gagnon.
The Hawks scratched across one run in the top of the 11th inning to push past Franklin Pierce (23-5, 11-5 NE10) before the hosts took advantage of Saint Anselm pitching to the tune of 15 hits, including four for extra bases.
Sophomore Haile Hicks (Jefferson, N.H.) threw over 180 pitches in the 11-inning affair, earning the victory while setting career-high marks in pitches thrown (182), strikes thrown (127), strikeouts (14) and innings pitched (11). She remains the NE10 leader in pitching victories (16) this season.
Junior Kylie Fitzpatrick (Danville, N.H.) logged four hits on the day, giving her 100 hits during her stellar Saint Anselm career.
Saint Anselm will host American International on Saturday, Apr. 23 before taking on Assumption on Sunday, Apr. 24 at the South Athletic Fields. Saturday's twinbill will feature a pre-game Senior Day ceremony to begin before first pitch.
GAME ONE – Saint Anselm 5, Franklin Pierce 4 (11 inn.)
Staring at a 3-0 hole through the first inning of play, Saint Anselm trimmed the deficit to one run by scoring twice in the top of the fourth inning. Fitzpatrick picked up one of her four hits in the doubleheader by singling to left field, setting up a one-out, two-run home run for freshman Stephanie Tardugno (Methuen, Mass.).
The Hawks scored twice more in the top of the fifth inning, capturing a 4-3 lead thanks to a two-run single by senior Bre Klaiber (Ironton, Ohio) – the stage was set thanks to the first three runners of the inning reaching base, two by singles and one via a hit-by-pitch.
Franklin Pierce tied the game at four in the bottom of the frame, taking an advantage on a miscue by Saint Anselm to allow a run to score from third base.
Hicks retired the next five in a row and, after a seventh-inning single, started another streak of five consecutive batters set down. Franklin Pierce had only two hits across the final five innings of game play.
With runners placed on second base in each inning after the ninth, the Hawks had freshman Ava Caputo (Waterford, N.Y.) on second base to begin the top of the 11th. Looking to get a runner into scoring position, sophomore Gracie O'Hara (Shrewsbury, Mass.) attempted to bunt but the throwing error by the third baseman allowed the go-ahead run to score.
Hicks had a runner of her own to deal with the bottom of the inning and after a strikeout, a fly ball to center field placed the game-tying run at third base with two outs. The standout sophomore induced a groundout back to the circle, ending the game and locking down the victory.
GAME TWO – Franklin Pierce 11, Saint Anselm 5
The Hawks produced a 3-0 lead of their own in game two, using an RBI double by junior Kylee Royer (Blackshear, Ga.) and a two-run double by Fitzpatrick to create the early advantage.
It was all Franklin Pierce for the rest of game two as a six-run bottom of the second inning erased the early gains by the Saint Anselm offense. The lead for the Ravens would grow to 9-3 in the bottom of the fifth.
Klaiber struck an RBI double to right field in the top of the sixth and Royer picked up her second run batted in of the game, popping up a sacrifice fly to right field that shrunk the Franklin Pierce lead to 9-5.
A two-run double for Franklin Pierce put the game further out of reach for Saint Anselm in the bottom of the sixth.
The tandem of freshman Sophia DiPippo (Cranston, R.I.) and junior Ava Vincequere (Shrewsbury, Mass.) conceded 10 earned runs, striking out four batters. Saint Anselm generated six hits in defeat.
