Area Sports Roundup, May 3

May 4—Keene baseball bounces back in a big way

MERRIMACK — After dropping its first game of the season Friday, the Keene High baseball team took it to Merrimack Monday, beating the Tomahawks 10-2 in Merrimack.

Senior Zach Mooers provided the Blackbirds with six strong innings on the mound, allowing just one run (none earned) on four hits and three walks.

Aaron Kent pitched the seventh, giving up one run on two hits.

Liam Conley and Peter Haas each had two hits for Keene. Cal Tiani ripped a triple.

It was a 3-1 game heading into the sixth inning, before Keene broke it open with two runs in the sixth and five runs in the seventh.

Keene (6-1) next hosts Merrimack Wednesday at Alumni Field.

Keene softball beaten on late home run

The Keene High softball team fell to Merrimack, 5-3, on a late home run Monday in Keene.

The game was tied going into the seventh inning when the Merrimack first baseman, who went 3-4 in the game, belted a two-run homer to right center that barely cleared the fence for the game winner.

Keene knocked out seven hits led by Laurel Clace with two singles and a run scored. Maya Carey singled and Sydney Maclean doubled in the sixth and both scored to tie the game heading into the seventh.

Emma Bartlett took the tough luck loss, going seven innings and giving up eight hits, striking out 12 with two walks and one hit batsman.

Keene (8-2) travels to Merrimack Wednesday.

Monadnock softball blows out Wilton

SWANZEY — The Monadnock softball team scored 18 runs in the third inning on its way to a 26-0, 4.5-inning blowout over Wilton Monday in Swanzey.

Junior Grace LeClair went 4-5 in the box with seven RBI and three runs scored. She also hit a grand slam in the third inning.

Every Husky in the lineup recorded at least one hit and one RBI.

LeClair pitched three no-hit innings for Monadnock before Shawn Bixby came in for the final two innings. Bixby only allowed one hit.

Monadnock (2-4) visits Wilton Wednesday at 4 p.m.

Keene boys tennis cruises past Merrimack

The Keene boys tennis team beat Merrimack handily, 8-1, Monday in Keene.

The Blackbirds swept singles, with Matt McGreer, Dillon Rodgers, Max Santos and Sam Bergeron each posting 8-0 victories.

Nick Walton won 8-4 in first singles and Ethan Lewis won 8-1 in second singles.

Rodgers and Santos also won their doubles match, 8-0, while Nick Cusack and Bergeron won a shortened third doubles match, 7-0.

Keene (2-4) visits Manchester Memorial Tuesday at 4 p.m.

Keene girls tennis falls to Merrimack

MERRIMACK — The Keene girls tennis team saw two singles wins and a doubles win, but ultimately fell to Merrimack, 6-3, Monday in Merrimack,

Cameron Brown and Maggie Delbove each won their singles matches. Delbove also notched a doubles win, paired with Chloe Feucher.

Keene (0-5) is back in action Tuesday when they host Manchester Memorial at 4:30 p.m.

FPU women's lacrosse falls in shootout

MANCHESTER — Junior Megyn Ayotte went for career-bests in both goals (5) and points (6) Monday night, but it would not be enough for the Franklin Pierce University women's lacrosse team in the Northeast Division semifinal round of the Northeast-10 Conference Championship at Grappone Stadium.

The third-seeded Ravens came up on the short end of a 17-14 decision against the second-seeded and host Hawks of Saint Anselm. Junior Jenna Balboni poured in six goals to lead Saint Anselm to the victory.

With the loss, Franklin Pierce sees its season come to a close at 7-3. Saint Anselm improves to 8-2 and advances to Thursday's divisional final on the road against top-seeded Bentley.

Ayotte (5-1-6), junior Savannah Ernst (4-0-4), junior Kaitlyn Daly (3-0-3) and senior Caroline Lounsbury (2-1-3) led the way for the Franklin Pierce offense.

Senior Casey Butera finished with nine saves against 26 shots on goal and suffered the loss (4-1) in the Franklin Pierce crease.

FPU women's golf in action at first day of NCAA East Regional

CARMEL, Ind. — The Franklin Pierce University women's golf team embarked on its second NCAA Championship appearance in program history Monday, with the first of three rounds at the East Regional.

Freshman Kayla Schuberth led the way on the first day for the Ravens, as she carded a nine-over-par 81 to finish the day tied for 27th.

As a team, the Ravens sit eighth of nine teams through the first round of play, with a score of 339 (+52). The East Regional is being hosted by the University of Indianapolis at the par-72 Prairie View Golf Club, which checks in at 6181 yards.

Graduate student Taylor Hartley finished just one shot behind Schuberth, with an opening-round 82 (+10), and is currently tied for 29th in the 48-golfer field. Graduate student Zoey Yamamoto and sophomore Alia Godek rounded out Franklin Pierce's scoring foursome with rounds of 87 (+15) and 89 (+17), respectively. Yamamoto is 41st through the first round, while Godek is tied for 42nd.

Sophomore Micaela Leandro rounded out the Ravens' five on the day, with a first-round 98 (+26) and sits 47th.

Host UIndy, the 2015 and 2018 national champion, put together an opening-round 298 (+10) to lead by a stroke at the end of play Monday. Findlay was second with a 299 (+11), while Missouri-St. Louis (UMSL) sat third after shooting a 305 (+17). Franklin Pierce is within striking distance of seventh-place Charleston, which turned in an opening-round 333 (+45). Gannon is currently four shots behind the Ravens in ninth, after a first-round 343 (+55).

East Regional competition will continue Tuesday and Wednesday at Prairie View Golf Club.

Franklin Pierce baseball's Ian Battipaglia named NE10 Rookie of the Week

MANSFIELD, Mass. — Sophomore shortstop Ian Battipaglia of the Franklin Pierce University baseball team has been named Northeast-10 Conference Rookie of the Week, this time for the week ending on May 2, as announced on Monday afternoon by the Conference office.

Battipaglia posted a .478/.586/.739 slash line for a 1.325 OPS in a 3-3 week for the Ravens. He hit three doubles and one home run, scored 10 times and drove in 16. Battipaglia drew five walks against six strikeouts.

He had a day in a doubleheader against Saint Michael's on Wednesday, as he went 7-for-9 over two games, with two doubles and a home run, scored seven times and drove in 11, including eight in the first game. In the first game at Southern New Hampshire on Sunday, Battipaglia went 2-for-5 with a three-run double, scored once and drove in five.

The Ravens are scheduled to return to action on Saturday, when they host Saint Michael's in a 3 p.m. doubleheader to close out the regular season.

Franklin Pierce softball's Madi Killebrew Named NE10 Player of the Week

MANSFIELD, Mass. — For the second straight week, graduate student Madi Killebrew of the Franklin Pierce University softball team has been selected as Northeast-10 Conference Player of the Week, this time for the week ending on May 2, as announced on Monday afternoon by the Conference office.

Killebrew slashed .545/.600/1.000 for a 1.600 OPS in a 5-1 week for the Ravens, with two homers, six RBIs, four doubles, eight runs scored and two walks. At Stonehill on Tuesday she was 2-for-4 with a homer, drove in two and scored twice. Against Southern New Hampshire on Saturday, Killebrew bashed two doubles, drove in one and scored three runs. In Sunday's doubleheader with the Penmen, she went a combined 6-for-9 at the plate and belted a walk-off three-run homer in the second game.

On the season, Killebrew is hitting .438/.511/.800 for a 1.311 OPS, with 12 doubles and five home runs. She has scored 24 runs, driven in 23 and drawn seven walks against just six strikeouts.

The Ravens are scheduled to return to action Tuesday, when they will host Stonehill in the first round of the NE10 Championship at 3 p.m.

Franklin Pierce women's lacrosse's Savannah Ernst, Casey Butera earn NE10 weekly awards

MANSFIELD, Mass. — For the second straight week, junior Savannah Ernst of the Franklin Pierce University women's lacrosse team has been named Northeast-10 Conference Player of the Week, this time for the week ending on May 2, as announced on Monday afternoon by the NE10.

In addition, senior Casey Butera has been selected as NE10 Goalkeeper of the Week.

In Franklin Pierce's regular-season finale on Wednesday, Ernst scored five times to lead the Ravens to an 11-9 victory at Assumption. She attempted 10 shots, including seven on goal, and snagged a pair of ground balls.

Also on Wednesday, Butera made a career-best 16 saves against 25 shots to pick up the win at Assumption.

— Full roundup can be found at sentinelsource.com