Baseball: Powell Pitches Nine Innings in NE10 Playoff Win Over New Haven; Ravens Return to Conference Championship for Second Year in a Row

Recap by Director of Athletic Communications Luke Tracy 

RINDGE, N.H. (5/10/2024) – For the second year in a row, the Franklin Pierce University baseball team is heading back to the Northeast-10 Conference Championship following a 5-1 victory over the University of New Haven in the third round of NE10 playoffs. 

Score: Franklin Pierce 5, New Haven 1
Records: Franklin Pierce 28-16 (18-9, NE10), New Haven 26-23 (16-11, NE10)
Location: Pappas Field, Franklin Pierce University, Rindge, New Hampshire
Date: Friday, May 10, 2024

HOW IT HAPPENED:

• The Chargers grabbed the first run of the game in the second inning after a pair of singles put runners on the corners. As the third batter of the inning, New Haven's Joseph Frazzetta reached on a fielder's choice sending Shaun Callahan across home plate.
• The Ravens responded with the game tying run in the top of the fourth after Nolan DeAndrade (Bridgewater, MA) singled to right field scoring Kio Lugo (Boston, MA) to make it 1-1.
• An inning later, in the bottom of the fifth, Ian Battipaglia (Cheshire, CT) went to the dish with runners on the corners and hit an RBI single up the middle to take the 2-1 lead.
• The Ravens delivered the dagger in the bottom of the seventh fueled by an RBI triple from Acker followed by a two-RBI single from Lugo to make it a 5-1 ballgame.
• Through nine innings, the Chargers flipped through four pitchers in an attempt to slow the Ravens down. The Raven bullpen on the other hand stayed quiet as Chaz Powell (Stamford, CT) pitched all nine innings, holding New Haven scoreless for eight of them. Facing 36 batters, he only allowed six hits and earned his fourth win of the season.

CHAMPIONSHIP PREVIEW:

• Saturday's Championship game will be the fourth time the Ravens and the Chargers have faced off during the 2024 season. Prior to Friday's matchup, where the Ravens grabbed the win, the teams met in a mid-April doubleheader. New Haven swept the series decisively with a 15-7 victory in game one, followed by a 9-4 win in game two. Since they last played, the Ravens have gone 12-5 compared the Chargers' 10-8 record. Both teams entered the NE10 playoffs as the number two seed for their respective regions.
• Saturday's Championship game is set for 3PM following the Franklin Pierce University graduation.