Ravens get stretch run underway with key Markey Division victory

RINDGE, N.H. (April 30, 2003) - Franklin Pierce, ranked fourth in this week's NCAA Division II Northeast Regional poll, got its stretch run off to a good start with a 5-2 victory over Assumption College in Northeast-10 Conference Markey Division baseball action at Crystal Field this afternoon.

Franklin Pierce, which opened a final regular season stretch of eight games over the next six days, got a complete game victory from freshman right-hander Mike Farrell (Russell, Mass./Gateway). Making just his second start of the season and first since March 17, Farrell took control early with first pitch strikes and allowed two earned runs, scattering nine hits and a walk with eight strikeouts the nine innings to pick up his first career victory (1-1).

Freshman Shawn Hayes (Charlton, Mass./Holy Name) sparked the Ravens offense by hitting 2-for-4 (two bunt singles) with a run scored and three stolen bases. SophomoreEric Cavers (Otisfield, Maine/Oxford Hills) was 2-3 with a run scored and RBI, while senior Dan Close (Leominster, Mass./Leominster) finished 2-4 with a run scored. Senior Mike Callahan (Worcester, Mass./St. Peter Marian) posted two RBI.

Freshman Matt Cavallaro led Assumption by hitting 2-3 with a run scored, while junior Tim Caouette was 2-4. Post grad Bill Bertrand chipped in a double and scored a run.

Sophomore left-hander Colin Eastman suffered the loss (0-3) as he yielded five runs, four earned, on ten hits with five strikeouts and two walks in six innings. Junior Nick Foundas turned in two perfect innings of relief, striking out two.

Franklin Pierce took a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first after loading the bases with one out. Callahan lofted a sacrifice fly to right field, scoring Cavers (leadoff single) as well as junior Dante Blancarte (Amesbury, Mass./Amesbury) when the rightfielder threw the ball over the catcher's head.

The Ravens scored single runs in the second and third to extend their lead. Freshman Mike Chambers (Londonderry, N.H./Londonderry) led off the second with a double and scored on a Cavers single down the leftfield line. Callahan drove in Close with a single in the third.

Assumption plated single runs of its own in the fifth and sixth to get back within two runs. Junior Ryan Cody singled in the fifth to drive in Cavallaro (one-out single) and Bertrand doubled with one away in the sixth and later scored on a Farrell wild pitch.

Franklin Pierce rounded out the scoring in the bottom of the sixth as Hayes reached base with two outs on a bunt single, stole second and third on consecutive pitches, then scored on a single through the left side by freshman Elliott Shea (Jaffrey, N.H./Conant).

Franklin Pierce (20-12, 13-8 NE-10), which reached the 20-win plateau for the fourth-straight season with today's win, hosts College of Saint Rose in a huge Markey Division match up tomorrow afternoon at 3:30 p.m. The two teams split the previous two meetings earlier this season, setting up a crucial rubber game in the three-game series tomorrow. Assumption (14-19, 8-13 NE-10) visits Saint Anselm College tomorrow afternoon at 3:30 p.m. 

 BOX SCORE

Battery
FP: Mike Farrell and Eric Cavers
AC: Eastman, Foundas (7) and Caouette

WP: Farrell (1-1)
LP: Eastman (0-3)