Razzino, LaVorgna each club RBI triples

RINDGE, N.H. (March 29, 2014) – The pitching staff of the No. 26 nationally ranked Franklin Pierce University baseball team allowed just one unearned run on five hits across 18 innings on Saturday afternoon on the way to a sweep of Stonehill in a Northeast-10 Conference Northeast Division doubleheader at Dr. Arthur and Martha Pappas Field. In the second game, junior right-handers Brendan O'Rourke (Shrewsbury, Mass.) and Doug Willey (Shelburne, N.H.) combined to allow just one baserunner and face the minimum while throwing a one-hit shutout.

With the sweep, Franklin Pierce improves to 18-10 (5-3 Northeast-10, 2-2 Northeast Division), while Stonehill falls to 13-9 (3-2 Northeast-10, 1-2 Northeast Division). The Ravens bounced back from a loss on Friday afternoon to take two of the three games in the season series between the two teams. Saturday's games were originally scheduled to be played at Lou Gorman Field in Easton, Mass. As a result, Stonehill played as the home team in both games.

Pitching was the story of the day for Franklin Pierce, and senior right-hander Joe Flynn (Plymouth, Mass.) set the tone in the first game, as he allowed just one unearned run on four hits while piling up 11 strikeouts against just two walks over 8.2 innings on the way to the win (4-2). Through the first eight innings of the game, Flynn allowed just three baserunners, all on singles, and did not allow a runner past second base. After Flynn's defense and his only two walks of the day got him in trouble in the bottom of the ninth, freshman right-hander Mike Lundin (Kingston, Mass.) came on to strike out the game's final batter.

The game went scoreless until the top of the sixth inning, when the Ravens plated four runs, which would be more than enough for Flynn. With one out, freshman second baseman Kyle Hood (Arlington, Mass.) dumped a single inside the left-field line and moved to second on a single through the left side of the infield by sophomore shortstop Justin Brock (Latham, N.Y.). After a walk to senior center fielder Calvin Graves (Boston, Mass.) loaded the bases, junior right fielder John Razzino (Cranston, R.I.) promptly unloaded them with a three-run triple to the gap in left-center field. Razzino would score in-turn on a sacrifice fly to right by freshman third baseman Jay Jabs (Schwenksville, Pa.).

Franklin Pierce tacked on a pair of runs in the top of the seventh to push the lead to 6-0. Sophomore first baseman Matt O'Herron (Springfield, Mass.) took a four-pitch, lead-off walk and moved to second on an infield single by sophomore designated hitter Kurtis White (Nahant, Mass.), before both runners moved up on a sacrifice bunt. Hood brought home O'Herron with the first run of the inning on an RBI single to right field, while Brock laid down a squeeze bunt which turned into an RBI sacrifice bunt as White came home.

Stonehill scored its lone run of the game, as well as its only run of the day, in the top of the ninth to create the 6-1 final. Sophomore left fielder Brian Campbell took a four-pitch walk leading off, moved to second on an errant pickoff attempt, went to third on a wild pitch and scored on a passed ball.

Junior right-hander Neal Horan took the ball in the first game for Stonehill. He threw the first five innings before leaving with an injury, did not allow a run, surrendered two hits, walked two and struck out four. Junior right-hander Armand Rugel took the loss (0-1) out of the bullpen for the Skyhawks. He threw only the sixth inning, allowed four runs on three hits, walked one and struck out one.

O'Rourke took the ball for the Ravens in the second game and picked up where Flynn left off in carving through the Stonehill lineup. Over eight innings and just 84 pitches, O'Rourke allowed just one baserunner, a leadoff single to right-center by Campbell in the fourth, and otherwise retired the remaining 23 batters he faced, including 10 strikeouts, on the way to the win (4-1). After reaching in the fourth, Campbell stole both second and third, but was eventually erased trying to take home on a ball which got away from the catcher. As a result, Franklin Pierce pitching faced only the minimum 27 batters in the game.

O'Rourke struck out every batter in the Stonehill lineup at least once, except for senior right fielder Billy Karalis, and had fanned six in a row before Campbell's fourth-inning single. Later, Willey had begun warming in anticipation of a ninth-inning save situation, which disappeared after the Ravens plated a pair of unearned runs in the top half of the ninth. Willey came on for the bottom half anyway and got the side in order on two groundouts and a strikeout to cap the day's sterling pitching efforts.

The offense got the only runs it needed with two in the top of the fourth inning. Graves led off with a single through the left side of the infield, moved to second on a groundout and scored on an RBI single through the right side by Jabs. Jabs moved to second two batters later on a walk to O'Herron and scored on an RBI single to center by freshman left fielder Chris LaVorgna (North Haven, Conn.).

A pair of unearned runs in the top of the ninth created the 4-0 final. Razzino reached on an error leading off, stole second and moved to third as junior catcher Matt Walsh (Plymouth, Mass.) also reached on an error. Razzino was erased at the plate as O'Herron reached on a fielder's choice, before LaVorgna brought home both runs with a two-run triple to right field.

Senior left-hander Zach Soulier took the mound for Stonehill in the second game. He took a tough-luck loss (4-1) after allowing four runs (two earned) on five hits, walking one and striking out three over 8.2 innings and 105 pitches.

The Ravens return to the field on Tuesday, April 1, when they remain home to host Southern New Hampshire in a Northeast-10 Conference Northeast Division contest. First pitch is set 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). Fans wishing to purchase Franklin Pierce baseball apparel can do so at the Department of Athletics' online store (http://athletics.franklinpierce.edu/store).