Fisher Goes 4-for-4 in Game One and Ulak Records 100th Career hit as Softball Splits a Pair With Plymouth State
Plymouth, N.H. – Sophomore Kendra Fisher (Abington, Mass.) went 4-for-4 with a run batted in for Framingham State in the opener, leading the Rams to an 8-0 victory over Plymouth State. Freshmen Jackie Digman (Burlington, Mass.), Sam Hebert (Mancheser, N.H./Memorial) and Taylor Mancini (Gansevoort, N.Y.) all belted home runs in the second game Friday afternoon, leading the Panthers to a 10-2 victory over the Rams in the nightcap of a non-conference softball doubleheader at D&M Park.
Both games in the twinbill were shortened to five innings due to the eight-run rule. The split leaves PSU with a 16-17 overall record, while FSU is now 11-21.
Digman hit a solo home run to right field in the first inning of the nightcap, putting PSU on the board with her fifth of the season and tying her for the team lead. Hebert knocked one over the left-field fence in the third inning for a three-run shot and Mancini followed with a solo blast to left center two batters later to highlight a four-run inning.
The Panthers then put the game away with five runs in the fifth inning. Sophomore Jenn Bove (Medford, Mass.) drew a based-loaded walk and Digman followed with a two-run single. Junior Heather Blase (Milford, N.H.) and senior Kortney Nedeau (Kennebunk, Maine) added RBI singles to finish off the game.
Sophomore Diana Bean (Danvers, Mass.) earned the win (2-0) for PSU, allowing just one earned run on six hits and a walk while striking out three. Digman and Hebert drove in three runs each for the Panthers, and freshman Denise Freitas (Sanford, Maine) finished with three hits. Sophomore Taylor Ezold (Westfield, Mass.) led the Rams, going 3-for-3 with a double.
Junior Alysia Morrissette (Ware, Mass.) tossed a three-hit shutout for Framingham State in the opener, not walking a batter and striking out two to post the victory. The Panthers got to her in the nightcap as Morrissette did not make it out of the fifth inning.
Framingham State jumped on the home team for five runs in the first inning of the opener. A single by Fisher and three straight walks opened the scoring for the Rams, and an illegal pitch made it 2-0. Freshman Kyle Fortin (Candia, N.H.) singled up the middle to drive in two runs, and senior Kelly Reardon (Groveland, Mass.) added an RBI double to finish off the rally.
The Rams added single runs in the second, third and fourth innings. Junior Christy Ulak (Rehoboth, Mass.) singled home a run in the second, Fisher knocked in a run in the third, and Ulak scored on a PSU error in the fourth. Fisher had four hits in the game and Ulak, Fortin and Reardon had two each.
PSU managed just three hits in the first game and had only one runner reach second base. The Panthers rebounded with 13 hits in the nightcap.
Ulak singled in the second inning of the nightcap to pick up her 100th career hit. Ulak is the ninth FSU softball player to reach 100 hits.
Both teams return to conference play on Saturday at 1:00 p.m., PSU hosting Western Connecticut State University in a Little East Conference twinwill and FSU hosting Mass. College (MCLA) in a Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference (MASCAC) doubleheader.
Release courtesy of PSU Sports Information.