Weagle picks up career-best eighth win, Shea sparks Ravens offense

LOWELL, Mass. (May 15, 2003) - Third-seeded Franklin Pierce showed few nervous signs in posting a 4-2 victory over second-seeded Dowling College in game one of the 2003 NCAA Division II Northeast Regional at LeLacheur Park this afternoon.

Franklin Pierce (28-15) will now play fourth-seeded University of New Haven (27-10) tomorrow afternoon at 3 p.m., for a spot in Saturday's Regional Final. Dowling (29-10) faces top seeded and host UMass Lowell (30-11) in an elimination game tomorrow morning at 11 a.m. New Haven topped UML, 2-1, with a pair of runs in the top of the ninth to break up a 0-0 deadlock entering the frame.

Junior right-hander Matt Weagle (Charlton, Mass./Shephard Hill) settled down after a slow start to earn his career-best eighth win of the season (8-1). The Northeast-10 Conference Pitcher of the Year issued a season-high five walks, but scattered five hits as he yielded two earned runs and struck out nine in eight innings of work. Freshman Tyler Cummings (South Paris, Maine/Oxford Hills) pitched a 1-2-3 ninth to record his first career save.

Freshman leftfielder Elliott Shea (Jaffrey, N.H./Conant) sparked the offense as he hit 3-for-4 with two runs scored. SeniorJosh Coughlin (Keene, N.H./Keene) was 2-4 with a run scored, while junior Dante Blancarte (Amesbury, Mass./Amesbury) finished 2-4. Sophomore Eric Cavers (Otisfield, Maine/Oxford Hills) belted a two-run double, while seniorPaul McAuliffe (Foxboro, Mass./Foxboro) chipped in with his team-best fourth home run of the season.

Senior right-hander Raul Moreno suffered the complete game loss (7-3) for Dowling, yielding four earned runs on ten hits with four strikeouts and two walks.

Senior Frank Cannistra led the Golden Lions offense by hitting 2-4 with two RBI. Junior Craig Barber finished 1-3.

Franklin Pierce drew first blood in the top of the second with Shea kick-starting the rally with a one-out single to right. Coughlin followed with a single to left center and advanced to second on the throw to third base and freshman Shawn Hayes (Charlton, Mass./Holy Name) loaded the bases with a walk a batter later. Cavers then laced a two-out double to right-center that scored Shea and Coughlin.

Dowling evened the game in the bottom of the frame as Cannistra smacked a two-run single to right-center with the bases loaded and two away. The Golden Lions then fell victim to a first and third pickoff move to end the inning as freshman Brian Rath was caught stealing at the plate.

Franklin Pierce regained the lead in the fourth inning with Shea sparking things with a leadoff single to center. Hayes drove in Shea with a sac fly down the rightfield line after a Mike Callahan (Worcester, Mass./St. Peter Marian) single put him on third. The Ravens added an insurance run in the fifth as McAuliffe led off the frame with a solo homer off the scoreboard in left.

Franklin Pierce is making its first ever appearance in the NCAA Tournament after capturing its first ever NE-10 Markey Division title and advancing to the Conference Championship game for the first time in program history. 

 BOX SCORE

Batteries:
FP: Weagle, Cummings (9) and Eric Cavers
DC: Moreno and Rath

WP: Weagle (8-1)
LP: Moreno (7-3)
Save: Cummings (1)
HR: McAuliffe (4)