Roche drives home run in final collegiate game

MANCHESTER, N.H. (May 20, 2012) – Junior right-hander Derek Zielinski threw a six-hitter and struck out 12 on Sunday afternoon to lead No. 16/21 nationally ranked and second-seeded Le Moyne to a 6-2 win over the No. 15/25 and third-seeded Franklin Pierce University baseball team in an elimination game on the final day of the NCAA Baseball Championship East Regional, hosted by Southern New Hampshire at Penmen Field. In his final collegiate game, graduate student center fielder James Roche (Arlington, Mass.) went 1-for-4 with an RBI double in defeat for Franklin Pierce.

With the loss, Franklin Pierce sees its season draw to a close at 38-19-1. It is the seventh straight season of at least 35 wins for the Ravens. In effect, the team finishes in the same position it did a year ago, as semifinalists at the East Regional. With the victory, Le Moyne improves to 43-14-1 and advances to play top seed and host Southern New Hampshire (41-13) in the championship game.

After the conclusion of the tournament, junior shortstop Anthony Peguero (Hyde Park, Mass.) was named to the NCAA Championship East Regional All-Tournament Team.

Le Moyne opened the scoring with a run in the bottom of the third, despite the ball never leaving the infield. Junior designated hitter Matthew Ciraco led off, was hit by a pitch and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt. Junior second baseman Vincent Redmond then knocked a ball over the mound and back up the middle that senior second baseman Dan Hennigan (Downingtown, Pa.) flagged down to keep the ball on the infield, leaving Redmond with an infield single and the Dolphins with runners on first and third. Senior center fielder Brett Botsford followed with a groundball to shortstop, but the Ravens could not turn it over for a double play, and Botsford reached with an RBI fielder's choice.

Le Moyne added three runs in the bottom of the fourth to extend the lead to 4-0. Senior third baseman Matt Marra opened the frame with a single to right, moved to second on a sacrifice bunt and scored on an RBI single back up the middle by sophomore left fielder Pat Wiese. Wiese took second on the play on the throw home, moved to third on a wild pitch and eventually scored on an RBI infield single by senior catcher Kyle Kalaka. The final run of the inning scored on a throwing error on the Kalaka single.

The Dolphins pushed the lead as high as 6-0 with two more runs in the bottom of the fifth inning. Junior right fielder Zack Wiley hit a lead-off single to left and wound up at second on the play on an error. He would move to third on a single to center by junior shortstop Ryan Mahoney, who then stole second. Both runners would score on an RBI single bounced through the left side of the infield by junior first baseman Paul Speicher.

The Ravens got on the board with single runs in the sixth and seventh innings, but ultimately came up short by the 6-2 final. In the sixth, freshman third baseman R.J. Going (Bay Shore, N.Y.) hit a two-out single to center, moved to second on a wild pitch and scored when Roche drilled an RBI double over the head of the left fielder. In the seventh, junior right fielder Nick LaCroix (Grafton, Mass.) led off with a single back up the middle, moved to second on a single through the right side by freshman catcher Matt Walsh (Plymouth, Mass.), moved to third on a sacrifice bunt and scored on a sacrifice fly to center by Peguero.

Sophomore right-hander Ryan Leach (Farmingdale, Maine) started and ultimately suffered the loss (6-4) on the mound for Franklin Pierce. Over 3.1 innings, he allowed four runs (three earned) on three hits, hit two batters and struck out three.

Zielinski went the distance to pick up the win (9-3) for Le Moyne. He surrendered two runs on six hits, did not issue a walk, hit a batter and struck out 12.

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).