MANCHESTER, N.H. – The Saint Anselm College softball team played to a Northeast-10 Conference doubleheader split against in-state foe Franklin Pierce University on Wednesday from the South Athletic Fields.

The Hawks claimed game one by a 2-0 score before falling in game two, 15-8, in six innings. Saint Anselm now sits at 19-12-1 on the season and 9-6-1 in conference games while the Ravens go to 26-15 overall and 10-6 in league games. Saint Anselm will be back in action on Saturday, Apr. 22 when the Hawks head to Springfield, Mass. to battle American International College for an NE10 twinbill slated for 12:30 p.m. and 2:30 p.m. starts.

Senior Kylie Fitzpatrick (Danville, N.H.) led the Hawks with four hits on the day while senior Kate Irwin (Milford, Mass.) and sophomores Stephanie Tardugno (Methuen, Mass.), Sam Wiberg (Exeter, N.H.), and Alyssa Wironen (Leominster, Mass.) all registered two hits apiece for the Saint Anselm offense.

Fitzpatrick registered her 150th career hit on Wednesday and is the 15th student-athlete in program history to reach that mark.

Wiberg and Wironen both slugged home runs and drove in three runs each in game two.

Junior Haile Hicks (Jefferson, N.H.) allowed just three hits in a complete game shutout in game one. Sophomore Sophia DiPippo (Cranston, R.I.) and senior Ava Vincequere (Shrewsbury, Mass.) combined to total 6.0 innings of work in game two with DiPippo suffering the loss.

GAME ONE: Saint Anselm 2, Franklin Pierce 0

The Hawks would strike first in the bottom half of the first frame as junior Gracie O'Hara (Shrewsbury, Mass.) worked a two-out walk to keep the inning alive. Fitzpatrick would follow with a double into left field which allowed the junior to score from first, marking the first run of the contest.

After both sides went down in order in the second inning, Franklin Pierce would threaten in the third as a walk and a single followed by a sacrifice bunt put runners on second and third with one out. Hicks would fan each of the next two batters to preserve the 1-0 Hawks lead.

Irwin led off the bottom of the third with a walk and would reach second on a wild pitch. After two fly outs, O'Hara singled to left which plated Irwin to double the Saint Anselm lead.

Franklin Pierce loaded the bases with two outs in the top of the sixth but Hicks got a ground out to get out of the scoring chance.

Hicks got Franklin Pierce to go three up, three down in the top of the seventh to claim the game one win for the Hawks by a 2-0 score.

GAME TWO: Franklin Pierce 15, Saint Anselm 8

Saint Anselm opened the scoring in game two with a three-run home run off the bat of Wiberg in the bottom of the first inning. O'Hara reached on a fielder's choice before Fitzpatrick extended the inning with a single which brought the sophomore to the plate.

The Ravens would push across nine runs in the top of the second inning. After the first two base runners reached safely, Hannah Wodecki would single to left to score one run but a fielding error allowed the second run to score before a double plated Wodecki. Franklin Pierce loaded the bases and got a fourth run on a hit by pitch which was followed by a grand slam from Ashley Cangiano. Wodecki came to the plate a second time in the inning and singled up the middle to score one run and give the Ravens a 9-3 lead.

Wironen led off the second inning with a solo home run to left field to get cut the deficit to five. Later in the inning, Tardugno singled to third base which allowed Irwin to score on the play and push the score to 9-5 through two innings of play.

Saint Anselm continued to cut into the Ravens lead as Wironen laced a double down the left field line which scored Fitzpatrick and Wiberg, who registered a pair of singles to lead off the bottom of the third. Junior Hannah Ramer (Rehoboth, Mass.) singled up the middle to score Wironen which made the score 9-8.

Franklin Pierce tacked on five more runs in the top of the fifth inning. The Ravens loaded the bases with Cangiano coming to the plate. She would send a ball into right field which would get down and roll all the way to the fence, allowing her to hit an inside the park grand slam. That was followed with a solo home run from Haley Bigwood which extended the Franklin Pierce lead to six at 14-8.

The Ravens added one run in the top of the sixth on a sacrifice fly to push the score 15-8.

Saint Anselm managed to put runners on second and third with one out but a pair of pop outs would strand the pair of runners.

The contest was called headed to the seventh inning due to darkness, giving the Ravens the 15-8 game two win.