Ravens face SNHU or Wilmington at 7 p.m. Saturday

Link to "On the Road with the Ravens" East Regional Blog

MANCHESTER, N.H. (May 18, 2012) – Junior right-hander Ryan Thompson (Calgary, Alberta) fired a six-hitter and did not allow an earned run on Friday night, to lead the No. 14/25 nationally ranked and third-seeded Franklin Pierce University baseball team to a 7-1 win over fifth-seeded Wilmington (Del.) on the second day of the NCAA Baseball Championship East Regional, hosted by Southern New Hampshire, at Penmen Field. Senior second baseman Dan Hennigan (Downingtown, Pa.) scored three times in the victory for Franklin Pierce.

With the win, Franklin Pierce improves to 38-17-1 and advances to play at 7 p.m. Saturday. With the loss, Wilmington falls to 33-17 and will face elimination at 11 a.m. Saturday against top-seeded Southern New Hampshire (39-13). The winner of the 11 a.m. game will face elimination again against Franklin Pierce in the nightcap.

One day after graduate student left-hander Jack Crawford (Montgomery, N.Y.) spun a three-hit shutout, Thompson went the distance as well. The only run he surrendered was unearned, as he allowed six hits, walked four, hit a batter and struck out four on the way to the win (5-2) in his first complete game of the season.

The Ravens opened the scoring with a run in the top of the first inning. Hennigan led off the game with a walk, moved to second on an errant pickoff attempt and scored three batters later on an RBI single to left field by sophomore first baseman Zach Mathieu (Derry, N.H.).

Franklin Pierce came up with five runs in the top of the fifth to extend the lead to 6-0 and effectively break the game open. Junior third baseman Anthony Peguero (Hyde Park, Mass.) led off with a single to left field and stole second. Sophomore left fielder Calvin Graves (Boston, Mass.) followed and laid down a sacrifice bunt, but reached on a throwing error by Wilmington junior third baseman BJ Janney, which also allowed Peguero to come home to score. After a bunt single by Hennigan put runners at first and third, graduate student center fielder James Roche (Arlington, Mass.) hit an RBI infield single to third to score Graves and move Hennigan to second. An RBI single by junior right fielder Nick LaCroix (Grafton, Mass.) back up the middle drove home Hennigan. The throw to home from center field on the play was errant, allowing Roche to come around to score as well. LaCroix eventually scored while freshman catcher Matt Walsh (Plymouth, Mass.) reached on an error.

Wilmington picked up a run in the home half of the fifth to cut the lead to 6-1. With one out, senior first baseman Mike Godwin reached on an infield single and wound up on second on the play on a throwing error. He would later score on a single back up the middle by senior right fielder Jordan Oncay.

A run in the top of the seventh reclaimed the six-run lead for the Ravens at 7-1, which would wind up being the final score. With one out, Hennigan walked, stole second, went to third on a wild pitch and later scored when Mathieu reached on an error.

Junior right-hander David Hatt took the ball and the loss (5-2) on the hill for Wilmington. Over six innings of work, he allowed seven runs (but just one earned) on seven hits, walked two, hit two batters, threw a wild pitch and struck out five.

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).