Medeiros launches second walk-off homer in as many weeks as Ravens win record sixth-straight

RINDGE, N.H. (May 5, 2002) - Junior catcher Al Medeiros (New Bedford, Mass./New Bedford) recorded his second walk-off homer in as many weeks to lift Franklin Pierce to its record sixth-straight victory with a 4-3 decision over American International College in Northeast-10 Conference baseball action at Crystal Field this afternoon.

The win, coupled with Assumption College's 16-15 win over College of Saint Rose in game one of its doubleheader in Worcester, Mass., this afternoon, clinches second place in the Markey Division and a home playoff game on Wednesday. Saint Rose's loss gives them ten losses with two games to play, while the Ravens round out its regular season with a 22-10 Conference clip. Bryant College clinched the Division title with a 14-7 win at Southern Connecticut State University today.

Franklin Pierce will play either Bentley College or Saint Anselm College on Wednesday (Time TBA) at Crystal Field. Bentley (vs. Stonehill Monday) leads Saint Anselm (at UMass Lowell Monday) by one game with a game to play for each. Should the two teams finish tied, Saint Anselm holds the head-to-head tiebreaker as it won three-of-four against Bentley this season.

In this afternoon's contest, Medeiros' walk-off blast in the bottom of the tenth was the difference. It marked his second career homerun, with his first coming with another walk-off blast in the bottom of the seventh in a 4-3 win over Southern Connecticut last Friday. Medeiros finished the game one-for-three with a sacrifice fly and two RBIs.

The game was a pitcher's duel between Franklin Pierce starter Scott Loiseau (Worcester, Mass./St. Peter Marian) and AIC's Ryan Lussier. Loiseau did not get a decision as he went the first eight innings, allowing three runs, two earned, on eight hits with six strikeouts and four walks. Sophomore Dante Blancarte (Amesbury, Mass./Amesbury) picked up the win (1-0) with two innings of one-hit shutout relief and two strikeouts.

Lussier (6-3) was the hard-luck loser as he yielded four runs, only two earned, on eight hits with one strikeout and no walks in nine-plus innings of work.

Blancarte finished 2-4 at the plate for Franklin Pierce with a double, a run scored and an RBI. Freshman Bear Dunn (Charlton, Mass./Shepherd Hill) hit 2-4 with a triple and run scored, while senior Eric Burney (Rockville, Conn./Rockville) was 2-3 with a stolen base. Freshman Eric Cavers (Otisfield, Maine/Oxford Hills) extended his team -leading hitting streak to 13 games with a double.

Junior Dave Guzman was the lone AIC player with multiple hits as he finished 2-5 with a double and a run scored. Classmate Adam Kramer hit 1-3 with an RBI, while senior Jeff Watson doubled in his only official at bat and scored a run.

AIC broke the ice with the game's first run in the fourth inning. Watson led off the frame with a double and scored on a single from Kramer with one out.

The Ravens answered with two unearned runs in the bottom of the fourth. Blancarte doubled to left-center to drive in Dan Close (Leominster, Mass./Leominster), who reached on an error, with their first run of the game.

After an Franklin Pierce flyout, Cavers followed with an RBI double to score Blancarte. Franklin Pierce nearly went up 3-1, but Cavers was thrown out at the plate after a single from Dunn to end the inning. After he two teams traded runs in the seventh, the Yellow Jackets knotted the game in the eighth. Guzman's RBI double scored AIC reserve Chuck Lelas for the only run of the inning. AIC could have made things worse for Franklin Pierce, but they got the lead runner out on a failed squeeze attempt with one out and the bases loaded with Guzman at the plate.

Neither team scored in the ninth and the Yellow Jackets had two on in the ninth with two away, but couldn't push the go-ahead run across the plate.

Franklin Pierce (29-16, 22-10 NE-10) will once again host a Northeast-10 Conference Tournament game on Wednesday against either Bentley College or Saint Anselm College. American International College rounds out its 2002 season with an 18-25 record overall, 13-18 in Conference play.

Batteries:
AIC: Ryan Lussier and Josh Bartlett
FP: Scott Loiseau, Dante Blancarte (9th) and Al Medeiros.

WP: Blancarte (1-0)
LP: Lussier (6-3)
HR: Medeiros (2)