White earns record eighth win as Ravens pound Owls in opener SCSU grabs series finale behind Lee's sixth win

NEW HAVEN, Conn. (April 27, 2002) - Franklin Pierce gained a key split with Southern Connecticut State University in Northeast-10 Conference baseball action at Owls Ballpark at SCSU this afternoon. Franklin Pierce pounded Southern 23-6 in game one, before the Owls avoided the series sweep with a 9-3 victory in the nightcap.

In game one, junior right-hander Jon White (Medford, Mass./Arlington Catholic) broke the school record for wins in a season as he claimed his eighth win (8-3) of the season. White surpassed teammate Chris Shank's (Westminster, Mass./Oakmont Regional) previous mark of seven wins set in 2000 and matched by both earlier this week. White, pitching on two days rest, allowed just one unearned run (which came in the first inning), on four hits with six strikeouts and no walks in the six-inning outing.

Franklin Pierce took command early with 11 runs in the third inning to break open a 1-1 tie. The Ravens scored in every inning but the second and built an 18-1 lead by the sixth inning. Sophomore Dante Blancarte (Amesbury, Mass./Amesbury) continues to swing a hot bat, as he was one of six Ravens with three hits in the game, batting three-for-five with a homerun, a double and five RBIs. Blancarte belted his second grand slam of the season (fifth career) as part of the Ravens big third inning.

SeniorScott Loiseau (Worcester, Mass./St. Peter Marian) was 3-5 with a double, a homer, two runs scored and three RBIs, while junior Paul McAuliffe (Foxboro, Mass./Foxboro) was 3-5 with a double, four runs scored and three RBIs. Freshman Eric Cavers (Otisfield, Maine/Oxford Hills) finished 3-6 with a pair of doubles and two RBIs.

Southern Connecticut starter Tim Tvardzik suffered the loss (4-1) as he was hit around for six earned runs on eight hits with one strikeout in 2.2 innings. Tvardzik was the first of seven Owls pitchers in the game.

Freshman reserve Jonathan DeRubeis was the lone bright spot offensively for the Owls as he hit 2-2, including his first career homerun - a two-run shot in the ninth.

Battery
FP
- Jon White, Bryan Borowski (7th), Anthony Leonelli (9th) and Al Medeiros.
SCSU - Tim Tvardzik, Matt Stevens (3rd), Derek Hanssen (3rd), Matt Mudzinski (3rd), Sal Santanello (5th), Dan Barrett (7th), John Artes (9th) and Ryan Cimino, Sean Dolyak (6th).

WP: White (8-3)
LP: Tvardzik (4-1)

In the nightcap, Southern Connecticut got a complete-game effort from sophomore Henry Lee to avoid the series sweep. Lee (6-3) allowed three runs, just two earned, on eight hits with four strikeouts and two walks. Lee also helped himself at the plate by going 3-5 with two runs scored and an RBI.

Senior Justin Walker sparked the Southern offense as he hit 3-5 with a double, a triple, two runs scored and three RBIs. Freshman Melvin Davis finished 3-4 with a double, a homerun, two runs scored and two RBIs. His RBI double in the Owls three-run fourth gave them the lead for good.

Freshman A.J. Hatton (Hudson, Mass./Hudson) suffered the loss (1-3) in relief of starter Gary Laakso (Athol, Mass./Athol). Hatton allowed three runs, two earned, on five hits with two strikeouts and a walk in 2.1 innings.

Blancarte extended his team-best hitting streak to 14 games (one shy of his season-long) with a single to lead off the ninth. Junior Dan Close (Leominster, Mass./Leominster) smacked his 11th homer of the season - a solo shot - to lead off the sixth. Callahan saw his 12-game hitting streak snapped in the nightcap.

Batteries:
FP
- Gary Laakso, A.J. Hatton (2nd), Scott Loiseau (4th), Greg Basile (8th) and Al Medeiros. SCSU - Henry Lee and Ryan Cimino.

WP: Lee (6-3)
LP: Hatton (1-3)

Franklin Pierce (23-16, 16-10 NE-10) returns to action on Tuesday when it travels to Worcester, Mass., to face Assumption College at 3:30 p.m. Southern Connecticut (28-13, 16-10 NE-10) hosts Saint Rose for a key doubleheader on Tuesday at 1 p.m.