Ravens and Falcons meet for rubber game on Sunday

RINDGE, N.H. (April 14, 2012) – Graduate student center fielder James Roche (Arlington, Mass.) went 4-for-5 with a pair of doubles, drove in two runs and scored three times in the first game of a doubleheader on Saturday afternoon to lead the No. 29 nationally ranked Franklin Pierce University baseball team to a 13-4 win over Bentley in Northeast-10 Conference Northeast Division play at Dr. Arthur and Martha Pappas Field. In the second game, Bentley scored 14 times in the top of the ninth inning to rally from an 8-3 deficit to a 17-8 victory.

With the split, Franklin Pierce is now 22-12-1 (9-4-1 Northeast-10, 4-3-1 Northeast Division), while Bentley stands at 18-17 (10-6 Northeast-10, 3-5 Northeast Division). The two teams meet again tomorrow to wrap up their three-game weekend series. First pitch is scheduled for 1 p.m. at Pappas Field.

The Ravens opened the scoring with three runs in the bottom of the third inning. Leading off the frame, senior second baseman Dan Hennigan (Downingtown, Pa.) was hit by a pitch and moved to second on a wild pitch. Two batters later, Roche lined a single into right-center, but Hennigan had to stop at third after holding up to make sure the ball wouldn't be caught. The throw back to the infield allowed Roche to move up to second on the play. Sophomore first baseman Zach Mathieu (Derry, N.H.) followed and pushed a two-run single through the right side of the infield to plate the game's first two runs. Mathieu stole second, stole third and scored on an RBI infield single behind the bag at second by freshman catcher Matt Walsh (Plymouth, Mass.).

Franklin Pierce quickly pushed the lead to 5-0 with a pair of runs in the bottom of the second. Again things started with a lead-off hit batsman, this time in the form of freshman third baseman R.J. Going (Bay Shore, N.Y.), who then went to second on a sacrifice bunt. Going would move to third on a groundout and score on an RBI single back through the middle by junior shortstop Dan Kemp (Sturbridge, Mass.). Kemp stole second and scored on an RBI single through the left side by Roche.

Bentley responded with a pair of runs in the top of the third to cut the deficit to 5-2. With one out, sophomore shortstop Will Brennan was hit by a pitch and moved to second on a groundout. Sophomore left fielder Sean Keady followed and clubbed an RBI triple into the gap in left-center field. Keady then scored on a single back up the middle by freshman center fielder Mike Muir.

The Falcons cut the lead to 5-3 with another run in the top of the fourth. Leading off the inning, senior designated hitter Greg Baggett hammered his third home run of the season, tying for the team lead, onto the walkway behind the fence in left-center field.

The Ravens picked up four runs in the bottom of the fifth to stretch the lead to 9-3. Kemp worked a lead-off walk and went around to third when Roche lined a double over the head of the left fielder for his third hit of the game. After a walk to Mathieu loaded the bases, both Kemp and Roche would score on a two-run single back through the middle of the drawn-in infield by junior right fielder Nick LaCroix (Grafton, Mass.). A sacrifice bunt moved the runners to second and third and then junior second baseman Anthony Peguero (Hyde Park, Mass.) pushed a single through the left side of the infield to score Mathieu. LaCroix would score on an RBI infield single by Going that pulled the third baseman too deep behind the bag at third to have a play.

Bentley cut the lead to 9-4 in the top of the seventh, with another lead-off home run. Junior first baseman Lamarre Rey lifted his first of the season to straightaway left field.

The Ravens tacked on four more runs in the bottom of the eighth to create the 13-4 final. Sophomore left fielder Calvin Graves (Boston, Mass.) hit a triple into the gap in right-center to start the inning. Both Roche and senior pinch hitter Isaac Wenrich (Westlawn, Pa.) had RBI doubles in the frame, while LaCroix chipped in a run-scoring single to drive home his third run of the game.

Graduate student left-hander Jack Crawford (Montgomery, N.Y.) started on the mound and picked up the win (5-2) in the first game for Franklin Pierce. In eight innings of work, he allowed four runs on eight hits, did not issue a walk, hit a batter and struck out eight.

Graduate student right-hander Rob Finneran started and took the loss (5-3) on the rubber for Bentley. Over five innings, he surrendered nine runs (eight earned) on nine hits, walked two, hit two batters, threw a wild pitch and struck out three.

Bentley opened the scoring in the second game with a run in the top of the second inning. With one out and the bases empty, Baggett hammered his second home run of the day, this one sailing over the scoreboard just to the right of straightaway center fielder.

Franklin Pierce surged to the lead with four runs in the bottom of the fifth. Going led off the inning with a single through the right side, but was erased at second base as Graves reached at first on a failed sacrifice bunt. Graves would come all the way around to score from first when Hennigan followed and drove a double the other way into the gap in right-center. After Kemp dropped a bunt single down the third-base line, Roche stepped to the plate and hammered his team-leading ninth home run of the season, a three-run shot onto the path behind the fence in left-center.

The Ravens added three runs in the bottom of the sixth to extend the lead as high as 7-1. Walsh opened the inning with a single back up the middle, went to second on a sacrifice bunt and moved to third on a single to right by Going. Graves followed and lifted a would-be sacrifice fly to center field that was dropped by Muir, allowing Graves to reach at second and Going to move around to third. Going scored on an RBI single to right by Hennigan, while Graves scored on an RBI bunt single down the third-base line by Kemp.

Bentley cut the gap to 7-3 with a pair of runs in the top of the seventh. Graduate student right fielder Bryant Johnson knocked a single to right to start the inning, went to second on a single to right by Rey and moved to third as Brennan reached on an error by Mathieu at first. A groundball by sophomore third baseman Nate Witkowski drove home the first run, while a sacrifice fly to center by Keady brought home the other.

Franklin Pierce answered with a run in the home half of the seventh to push the lead back to 8-3. With one out, Walsh was hit by a pitch, but erased at second as Peguero reached on a fielder's choice. Peguero then stole second and scored on an RBI double into the gap by Going.

However, the floodgates broke open in the top half of the ninth, as the Falcons hammered across 14 runs to pick up the 17-8 victory. After the first out was recorded by the second batter of the inning, 13 straight Bentley hitters would reach base before the second out was made. In all, the Falcons sent 17 men to the plate and recorded 12 hits in the frame. Nine batters into the inning, Brennan hit an RBI single to tie the game at 8-8, and Witkowski followed with a two-run double down the left-field line to give the Falcons the lead for good. Junior second baseman Logan Gillis and senior designated hitter Kevin Korwek each hit two-run doubles in the inning as well, while Korwek and Baggett each hit two-run homers. The former hit his first of the season to left field, while the latter hit his second of the game, this one off the batter's eye in straightaway center field.

Sophomore right-hander Ryan Leach (Farmingdale, Maine) started for the Ravens in the second game and pitched well enough to win, though he ultimate did not receive a decision. Over seven innings, he allowed three runs (two earned) on seven hits, walked two, threw a wild pitch and struck out six. Sophomore right-hander Rob Blanc (Sandy Hook, Conn.) ultimately suffered the loss (0-2) in the ill-fated ninth inning. He faced three batters and did not record an out. He was eventually charged with three runs on two hits and a walk.

Junior right-hander John Yohe went the distance to pick up the win (3-5) for Bentley. He allowed eight runs (six earned) on 14 hits, did not issue a walk, hit two batters and struck out five.

After Sunday, the Ravens return to the field on Tuesday, April 17, when they remain home to host Southern New Hampshire in a Northeast-10 Conference Northeast Division Contest. First pitch is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. at Pappas Field.

For more information on Franklin Pierce Athletics, please visit the official website of Franklin Pierce Athletics (http://athletics.franklinpierce.edu). Also be sure to follow the Ravens through the Department of Athletics' official Facebook page (http://www.facebook.com/FranklinPierceRavens), its YouTube channel (http://www.youtube.com/franklinpiercesports) and its Twitter feed (http://twitter.com/FPUathletics).