WORCESTER, Mass. – Junior Jordan Dwyer (Coventry, R.I.) went 3-for-4 from the plate with two runs scored and Samantha Hardwick (Albany, N.Y.) picked up her third victory in the circle in leading the Assumption University softball team to a 6-2 win over Franklin Pierce in the nightcap of a doubleheader on Friday evening. The Ravens captured the opener by a 19-7 score in five innings.

Game One: Franklin Pierce 19, Assumption 7 (5 Innings)

Franklin Pierce (27-9, NE10 15-9) scored 10 runs in the top of the first inning and never looked back. The Ravens sent 12 batters to the plate and only needed four hits to reach twin figures on the scoreboard, as four players were issued walks, one was hit by a pitch, and the Greyhounds also committed two errors.

The hosts, however, scored five times in the bottom of the first to claw back. Sophomore Summer Sheerin (Bridgewater, Mass.) hit a two-run double to put the Greyhounds on the scoreboard, and classmate Kali Scirocco (Upton, Mass.) blasted a three-run homer over the fence in left just two batters later.

Despite the attempted comeback, the Ravens continued to pad their lead by scoring four times in the third and five times in the fourth to put the game away. Ashley Cangiano belted a two-run single up the middle to restart the offense before Bigwood closed out the scoring by reaching on one of seven Greyhound errors in the game.

Assumption then left a combined three runners on base in the fourth and fifth frames, which allowed the Ravens to run away with the victory in five innings due to the eight-run rule.

Abby Poirot earned the victory for Franklin Pierce and improved to 2-1 despite allowing nine hits and seven runs, which were all earned, in just 2.2 innings of work. She also recorded two strikeouts. Senior Erin Barry (Braintree, Mass.) suffered the loss for Assumption. She recorded just one out and gave up three hits and seven runs, including five earned, while also issuing three walks.

Game Two: Assumption 6, Franklin Pierce 2

After committing seven errors that helped lead to 19 tallies, the nightcap was a different story. With Hardwick in control of the circle, the Greyhound defense behind her did not commit an error and three Ravens were thrown out at home.

Melissa Konopinski plated the first run in the top of the second on a two-out single through the left side, but sophomore Abby Larson (Marlborough, Mass.) was able to gun down Bigwood at home to keep it a one-run game.

Franklin Pierce threatened to double the margin again with two outs in the top of the third. Allie Martinez singled to left with Gina Hinckley on second. The Raven slugger tried to score by testing the arm of Larson from left field, but the Greyhound sophomore was able to gun her down at home to put an abrupt end to that frame as well.

Assumption then used the momentum to score three times in the bottom half of the third, as Dwyer hit a leadoff single to left and came home on a double to the gap in left center by sophomore Corin Mahan (Abington, Mass.) two batters later. Freshman Makenzie Bruggeman (Trumbull, Conn.) followed with a sacrifice fly to put the Greyhounds ahead for the first time of the day, and Sheerin made it 3-1 with a single up the middle.

Even though Franklin Pierce scored in the top of the fifth, the Greyhounds shook it off by adding two more runs of their own in the bottom half of the same frame. Scirocco scorched a two-run double to left center to give the hosts insurance.

The Ravens made a huge threat to get back in the game by loading the bases in the top of the sixth with two outs. However, a sharp ball to third base was fielded cleanly by Bruggeman, and the freshman threw the ball home to Mahan for a force out at home to end the inning. Mahan then singled in Dwyer to put the game out of reach.

Hardwick picked up the victory for Assumption and moved to 3-3 in the process by going the distance in the circle. She struck out two, issued three walks, and surrendered 10 hits and two runs which were earned. Abbey Primavera of Franklin Pierce dropped to 10-5 with the loss. She gave up five runs, which were all earned, along with eight hits.

Assumption (15-26, NE10 12-12) will look to maintain its position in the top eight of the standings and qualify for the Northeast-10 Conference Tournament when it wraps up the regular season against Saint Michael's tomorrow afternoon at WPI. The doubleheader is slated to start at 12 p.m. after the Greyhounds recognize their four-member senior class.