Ravens and Golden Lions meet for noon twinbill again Sunday

Box score (Game 1)
Box score (Game 2) 

BROOKHAVEN, N.Y. (March 8, 2014) – Two pitching staffs combined to allow just two earned runs over 16 innings on Saturday afternoon, as the No. 7/12 nationally ranked Franklin Pierce University baseball team wound up locked in a pair of non-conference pitching duels with Dowling at Golden Lions Field. Dowling was able to pull out one-run victories in both ends of the doubleheader, posting 2-1 and 1-0 wins.

With the losses, Franklin Pierce falls to 8-4 (0-0 Northeast-10), while Dowling improves to 7-2 (0-0 East Coast). The two teams will wrap up the four-game weekend series with another doubleheader on Sunday. First pitch is set for noon at Golden Lions Field.

In the first game of the day, senior right-hander Tyler Badamo, ECC Pitcher of the Year and an All-East Region selection a year ago, stifled the Franklin Pierce offense for the second year in a row. He fired 8.2 innings without allowing an earned run, was hit for one unearned run on seven hits, walked two, hit a batter and struck out eight. Badamo induced 11 groundball outs on his way to the win (1-1). A year ago on Long Island, Badamo locked horns with Ryan Thompson and struck out 10 over eight innings of three-hit ball in a game which ultimately went 16 innings.

Dowling opened the scoring on Saturday with a run in the bottom of the third inning. With two outs, senior second baseman Andrew Abreu knocked a single back up the middle, stole second and scored on an RBI double to left by sophomore third baseman R.J. Going, a former Raven who manned third base for Franklin Pierce for part of the 2012 campaign.

The Golden Lions pushed the lead to 2-0 with a run in the bottom of the fourth. Junior catcher Daniel Parisi led off with a single to left and then went first-to-third on an errant pickoff attempt. He would score an unearned run from there on an RBI groundout to second by senior left fielder Rob Veltre.

Franklin Pierce answered with a run in the top of the fifth to cut the gap to 2-1. Freshman third baseman Jay Jabs (Schwenksville, Pa.) reached at second on an error by Going at third to start the inning. A sacrifice bunt by senior designated hitter Marty Dunlap (Dorchester, Mass.) moved Jabs to third in front of an RBI single to left by freshman left fielder Chris LaVorgna (North Haven, Conn.). The Ravens were nearly able to bring home the tying run later in the inning, as freshman second baseman Kyle Hood (Arlington, Mass.) knocked a single through the left side to put runners at first and second, before sophomore shortstop Justin Brock (Latham, N.Y.) struck out for the second out. The lineup flipped back to the top of the order for senior center fielder Calvin Graves (Boston, Mass.) who legged out an infield single deep in the hole at shortstop. Franklin Pierce pushed the envelope on the play, sending LaVorgna for home as the throw went across the diamond. Dowling senior first baseman J.C. Brandmaier was not caught off-guard however, as he was able to get the ball to Parisi at the plate in time to retire LaVorgna to end the inning.

The Ravens left a runner in scoring position in both the sixth and seventh innings, before Badamo retired five straight to put himself on the verge of the complete-game victory. Hood was able to work a two-out walk in the ninth, which put the tying run on base, ran Badamo's pitch count to 116 and forced Dowling to turn to junior right-hander Kyle DeMeo for the 27th out. DeMeo would earn his first save of the season without officially facing a batter, as Hood was caught stealing second to end the game on DeMeo's first, and only, pitch to junior pinch hitter Rob Chooljian (Hampton, N.H.).

Graduate student left-hander Rob Corsi (Oceanport, N.J.) took the ball in the first game on Saturday for Franklin Pierce, but threw only the first three innings. He allowed one run on four hits, walked two, threw a wild pitch, struck out four, and was charged with the loss (0-1).

Unfortunately for Franklin Pierce, it was more of the same in the second game -- which was a seven-inning affair -- as both starting pitchers impressed, but the Ravens were left on the short end of a one-run decision. Senior right-hander Tom Bammann took the ball and needed just 76 pitches to throw a six-hit shutout for his fourth straight win to open the season (4-0). Bammann did not allow a walk, struck out four, allowed just one extra-base hit and faced four over the minimum through the seven innings.

Franklin Pierce sophomore right-hander Paul Covelle (Medford, Mass.) was just about as stingy on the other side, but was stuck with a tough-luck loss (0-1) anyway. He threw a complete game in the losing effort and allowed one run on four hits over six innings. He also did not issue a walk, struck out four, threw 80 pitches and faced four over the minimum.

The only two extra-base hits Covelle allowed were sequenced one behind the other to start the bottom of the fifth inning as Dowling plated the game's only run. Veltre opened the inning with a triple to right and scored as senior designated hitter Ian Schneider followed and clubbed an RBI double to right.

Franklin Pierce had the tying run in scoring position with one out in the sixth and again with two outs in the seventh, but was unable to plate the equalizer.

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). Fans wishing to purchase Franklin Pierce baseball apparel can do so at the Department of Athletics' online store (http://athletics.franklinpierce.edu/store).