White pitches Ravens to game one victory East Stroudsburg erupts for extra inning win in nightcap

FORT MYERS, Fla. (March 15, 2003) - The Franklin Pierce baseball team, receiving votes in both the Collegiate Baseball magazine and National Collegiate Baseball Writers of America (NCBWA) preseason polls, got its 2003 season underway with a doubleheader split with East Stroudsburg University at the Gene Cusic Collegiate Classic tonight.

The Ravens got a solid pitching performance from senior Jon White (Medford, Mass./Arlington Catholic) in the opener, before the Warriors erupted for an extra-innings victory in the nightcap.

In game one, White got his 2003 season off to a great start as he allowed just two unearned runs on four hits with eight strikeouts and just one walk in a complete game effort to pick up his first win of the season after setting a program record with ten victories in 2002.

East Stroudsburg got both of its runs in the bottom of the first as senior Joe Sobeski belted a two-run homer after classmate Blake Martin reached on an error.

Franklin Pierce drew within one in the top of the second as freshman Elliott Shea (Jaffrey, N.H./Conant) laced an RBI single to score senior Mike Callahan (Worcester, Mass./St. Peter Marian) who was hit by a pitch.

The Ravens knotted the score in the third when sophomore Eric Cavers (Otisfield, Maine/Oxford Hills) scored on a sacrifice fly from junior Dante Blancarte (Amesbury, Mass./Amesbury). Callahan put the Ravens ahead for good in the third with a leadoff home run and classmate Paul McAuliffe (Foxboro, Mass./Foxboro) added a lead off homer of his own in the fifth to give the Ravens a two-run edge.

Franklin Pierce broke the game open with three runs in the seventh, sparked by a two-run single from Callahan.

Callahan finished 2-3 for the Ravens with two runs scored and three RBI, while Blancarte finished 2-3 with a run scored, an RBI and two doubles. McAuliffe hit 2-4 with two runs scored and an RBI, while freshman Mike Chambers (Londonderry, N.H./Londonderry) was 2-4 with an RBI in his collegiate debut.

Senior righthander Gordy Kocher suffered the loss for East Stroudsburg as he yielded seven earned runs on nine hits with two walks and five strikeouts over seven innings. 

 BOX SCORE

Batteries:
FP - Jon White and Eric Cavers.
ESU - Gordy Kocher and Jeff Dahl

WP: White (1-0)
LP: Kocher
HR: Mike Callahan (1), Paul McAuliffe (1); Joe Sobeski (1)

In the nightcap, East Stroudsburg erupted for seven runs of a pair of Franklin Pierce freshmen in the top of the eighth, and then held on for the extra innings victory.

Junior Nick Farkas laced a two-run single, while classmate Daniel Gonzalez and freshman Chuck Scheibener each added RBI singles to spark the frame.

The Ravens got a pair back in the bottom of the seventh as junior Jason Bourque (Randolph, Mass./Kingswood Regional (N.H.)) ripped a two-run double. He was the lone offensive highlight for Franklin Pierce as he hit 3-3 in the game with a pair of doubles and scored the Ravens first run in the bottom of the sixth on a double-steal with Chambers.

The loss spoiled a solid start from sophomore Bryan Borowski (Clarksburg, Mass./Drury), who allowed just one earned run on three hits with seven strikeouts and four walks over 6.2 innings of work. Freshman Tyler Cummings (South Paris, Maine/Oxford Hills) suffered the loss, yielding five earned runs on two hits with two walks and two strikeouts in an inning of work.

Senior Jason Ryan earned the win, allowing three earned runs on eight hits with eight strikeouts and three walks in 7.1 innings of work. 

 BOX SCORE

Batteries:
ESU - Jason Ryan and Chuck Scheibener
FP - Bryan Borowski, Tyler Cummings (7), Mike Farrell (8) and Eric Cavers

WP: Ryan (1-0)
LP: Cummings (0-1)
HR: None

Franklin Pierce (1-1) returns to the diamond tomorrow night when it faces Caldwell College in a Northeast Regional battle at 8 p.m. East Stroudsburg (2-4) faces New Jersey Tech for a doubleheader tomorrow at 4 p.m.