NCAA II NORTHEAST REGIONAL #9/11 Franklin Pierce Tops Wilmington, 4-1
Kevin Renaud powers top-seeded Ravens to opening victory
RINDGE, N.H. (May 17, 2007) - Top-seeded Franklin Pierce, ranked 11th in this week's Collegiate Baseball magazine poll, opened NCAA Tournament play with a 4-1 victory over sixth-seeded Wilmington (Del.) College in game one of the 2007 NCAA Division II Northeast Regional Tournament at Dr. Arthur & Martha Pappas Field today.
Franklin Pierce (46-9) will face third-seeded University of Massachusetts Lowell (33-19), who fell to fourth-seeded Caldwell College (25-13) 9-4 in Thursday's final game, on Friday at 2:30 p.m. Wilmington (29-19) will fifth-seeded Bryant University (33-23), who dropped a 5-4 decision to second-seeded Adelphi University (34-15) today, in Friday's first game at 11 a.m.
With the victory, Franklin Pierce matches its program record for wins in a season set last spring. The Ravens are seeking their second-straight Northeast Regional title while making their fourth NCAA Tournament appearance overall, serving as top seed and host for the third-straight year.
Junior leftfielder Kevin Renaud (Southbridge, Mass./Southbridge) provided the bulk of offense for Franklin Pierce as he hit 3-for-4 with a pair of doubles, a home run, three RBI and two runs scored. Sophomore Scott Savastano (Plymouth, Mass./Plymouth North) was 1-4 with an RBI, while senior Jake Christman (Newton, Mass./Newton South) finished 1-3.
Sophomore righthander Mike Adams (Orchard Park, N.Y./Orchard Park) improved to 6-0 for the Ravens as he settled down from a rough first inning to allow just an earned run on six hits with two strikeouts and a walk over eight innings. Junior Tyler Bishop (Milford, N.H./Milford) collected his program-record tenth save of the season, working around a hit and a walk in a scoreless ninth.
Junior Chris Brooks (Manahawkin, N.J./Southern Regional) hit 2-for-3 with a stolen base and run scored for Wilmington, while classmate Spike Austin (Townsend, Del./Caravel Academy) was 1-3 with a stolen base and RBI.
Senior lefthander Kenny McGrady (Rising Sun, Md./Rising Sun) suffered the loss in a complete game effort for the Wildcats (4-5), yielding four runs, two earned, on eight hits with seven strikeouts and no walks over the eight innings of work.
Wilmington struck first as Brooks drew a leadoff walk, stole second and reached third on a throwing error on the Franklin Pierce catcher, before scoring on Austin's single up the middle. Adams retired 16 of the next 18 batters he faced while the Ravens bats were held in check.
McGrady retired 15 of the first 17 Franklin Pierce batters he faced (including a string of 12-straight) before the Ravens finally broke through with a pair of runs with two outs in the sixth. Senior Vinny Pennell (Spencer, Mass./David Prouty) reached on an error and scored two batters later when Renaud doubled to left. Savastano followed with a single up the middle to score Renaud.
The Ravens added some insurance in the eighth as junior Keith Renaud (Southbridge, Mass./Southbridge) reached with a bunt single before his twin brother Kevin deposited the very next pitch over the fence in left for his team-leading eighth homer of the season.