HOOKSET, N.H. (5/18/23) – The 2023 NCAA DII East Regional journey was short lived for the No. 4 Franklin Pierce University baseball team, who faced elimination after opening Thursday afternoon with a 10-5 loss to No. 5 Pace University, only to then fall by a 6-1 final against host No. 1 Southern New Hampshire University to complete the 2023 campaign.

Franklin Pierce saw its season end with a 34-19 overall record, which included a 17-7 mark in Northeast-10 Conference play. The Setters (34-19, 9-11 NE10) and the Penmen (38-11, 23-1 NE10) will now face each to find out who will advance to the NCAA DII East Super Regional.

GAME #1 : v. No. 5 Pace University

Trailing the Setters 2-0 in the bottom of the first, seniors Ian Battipaglia (Cheshire, Conn.) and Joel Lara (Boston, Mass.) each reached base on consecutive walks to lead-off the inning, which would shift into loaded bases as graduate Brian Hadden (Newburyport, Mass.) was hit by a pitch. From there, senior Joseph Pesce (Lake Mary, Fla.) plated the lead runner with a sacrifice fly-out to center field, scoring what would be Peirce's lone run of the inning to shave the Pace lead down to 2-1.

However, things would quickly turn south for the Ravens in the top of the second, as the Setters answered back with four-runs on four hits to stretch their lead out to 6-1, chasing Raven starting pitcher Kyle Roche (Braintree, Mass.). Senior outfielder Josh Miller highlighted the explosive run for the Setters, belting a three-run homer over the fence in right field, his first long-ball of the season.

Franklin Pierce started to narrow the gap in the bottom of the third with a solo run off yet another sac-fly by Joseph Pesce to center field. After holding the Setters scoreless in the top of the fourth, two more runs would come home for the Ravens, beginning with an RBI double by Ian Battipaglia to cut the Setter lead down to 6-3. In the next at-bat, Joel Lara delivered the second run via an RBI ground-out to the Pace shortstop, scoring senior catcher Max Gebauer (Guilderland, N.Y.) to make it a 6-4 game.

After facing a steady stream of Pierce offense in the third and fourth innings, the Setters went on to add three more runs in the top of the fifth inning, widening their lead to 9-4. Play would continue through scoreless sixth and seventh innings, before both teams traded final runs in the eighth. Both runs would score on RBI singles to opposite sides of the field from Pace's Luke Jacobi and Pierce's Max Gebauer. As a result, the No. 5 Setters would claim the win, doubling-up the Ravens by a 10-5 final score.

It was a 1.2 inning day on the mound for starter Kyle Roche, who surrendered six runs on six hits and three walks with one strikeout. As the first reliever, freshman righthander Kyle Salvati (Mount Sinai, N.Y.) worked through 2.2 innings with three runs allowed on two hits, walking two and striking out three. Sophomore Stephen Bangs (Stoughton, Mass.) completed the effort for Pierce, firing through 4.1 innings of work with one run allowed on four hits and two walks, additionally fanning two Pace batters.

GAME #2 : v. No. 1 Southern New Hampshire

With the 2023 season on the line against the host Penmen, nothing would happen for either team in the first inning, with SNHU recording the game's first hit in the bottom half. Then, in the second inning, the two squads would remain equal with a one run apiece, with Pierce striking first on a solo homer to deep center field by senior Jose Savinon (Brooklyn, N.Y.). SNHU would respond with a leadoff single in the bottom of the second, which would eventually result in a score off an RBI double up the middle by sophomore Harry Vargas Segura.

The Raven offense would come up empty in the third inning, but the Penmen would strike gold. Four runs would make their way across home plate for SNHU off of five consecutive base hits, with the RBI belonging to Nick Schwartz, Cam Caraher and Jake Risedorf. The base hit streak would end for the Penmen after junior Christian Mercedes reached on a fielder's choice, but one more run would score as a result of the play.

With a 5-1 lead in SNHU's hands, play would continue through scoreless fourth and fifth innings, with Pierce outhitting the Penmen 2-0 during that time. However, the lead would then become 6-1 SNHU in the bottom of the sixth as freshman Dyrenson Wouters hammered his second homer of the season over the left field fence.

From that point, the SNHU defense would continue to hold the Ravens off the scoreboard through the remaining three innings of play, bumping the Ravens from the NCAA Regional with a 6-1 win at Penmen Field.

Pierce starter Hunter Reynolds (Marlborough, Mass.) worked through 2.0 innings with five runs allowed on eight hits and one walk, striking out three. In relief, freshman Drew DeLucia (Medway, Mass.) recorded five full innings with only one run allowed on two hits surrendered, striking out four along the way. Tyler McDonald (Haverhill, Mass.) relieved the final inning of play, allowing two hits.