Ravens head for College World Series in first NCAA appearance

LOWELL, Mass. (May 17, 2003) - Third-seeded Franklin Pierce has punched its ticket to the NCAA Division II College World Series with a 5-3 victory over top-seeded and host University of Massachusetts Lowell in the NCAA Northeast Regional Championship this afternoon at LeLacheur Park.

Franklin Pierce (30-15), which won a combined 71 games in its first ten years of NCAA status prior to fifth-year head coach Jayson King taking over the reigns in 1999, has now reached the 30-win plateau for the second-straight year. The Ravens will face the winner of the North Atlantic Regional next Saturday in day one action of the World Series in Montgomery, Ala. UMass Lowell rounds out its season with a 32-12 overall mark.

"I can't say enough about this team," said King. "I felt at the beginning of the year that this had a chance to be a special kind of year. You can't even begin to realize the hard work that has gone into making today a possibility. This didn't just happen by chance."

Senior right-fielder Dan Close (Leominster, Mass./Leominster) enters today's action 0-for-9 in the regional, but finished 2-4 today, belting a two-run home run over the left centerfield wall in the bottom of the seventh to put the Ravens ahead for good. Classmate Paul McAuliffe (Foxboro, Mass./Foxboro) belted a two-run double in the fifth to give Franklin Pierce a 2-1 edge after it had fallen behind in the fourth marking the first time the Ravens trailed the entire regional.

FreshmanTyler Cummings (South Paris, Maine/Oxford Hills) won his fourth straight decision (7-4) to pick up his seventh win of the season, matching Chris Shank's program record for freshman wins set in 2000. Cummings went seven innings and allowed three earned runs on nine hits with a strikeout and a walk. JuniorGreg Basile (Suffield, Conn./Suffield) pitched two scoreless with three strikeouts to pick up his first save of the season.

Senior Mike Callahan (Worcester, Mass./St. Peter Marian) added a double and scored a run for the Ravens, while freshman Elliott Shea (Jaffrey, N.H./Conant) had a rally starting single and later scored. Senior Josh Coughlin (Keene, N.H./Keene) finished 1-3.

"We have a great group of seniors on this team," said King. "But I can't say enough about the production we've gotten from our freshmen, either."

UMass Lowell fifth-year right-hander Patrick Shirley suffered the loss (3-5), allowing five runs, four earned, on nine hits with seven strikeouts and two walks over 6.1 innings.

Senior Adam McCusker led the River Hawks offense, hitting 2-5 with a home run and two RBI. Freshmen Craig Carpenter and Kevin McCann were both 2-4.

UMass Lowell, needing two runs to advance to the World Series for the third-straight year, drew first blood in the top of the fourth. Senior Allen Mottram drew a one-out walk and advanced to third on a single to right center by Carpenter. Freshman Bob Theriault followed with a fielder's choice to allow Mottram to score.

Trailing for the first time all weekend, Franklin Pierce answered in the fifth. Callahan led off the frame with a double to right center. After Shawn Hayes (Charlton, Mass./Holy Name) popped up a bunt attempt, sophomore Eric Cavers (Otisfield, Maine/Oxford Hills) drew a walk. Callahan and Cavers advanced into scoring position on a Shirley wild pitch and McAuliffe made him pay with a double drive both runners home.

UML got the tying run right back as McCusker took Cummings first pitch of the sixth off the scoreboard in left for his third home run of the season. The Ravens regained the lead in the bottom of the frame as Hayes singled through the left side to score Shea, who singled with one out and later advanced to third on a passed ball, with two down.

The River Hawks drew even for a second time in the seventh as McCusker singled home junior Todd Cole with two outs. Cummings worked out of more trouble as he got Carpenter to fly out to center with the bases loaded, ending the inning.

Junior Dante Blancarte (Amesbury, Mass./Amesbury) singled through the right side with one away in the bottom of the seventh to set up Close, who drilled a 3-2 fastball over the leftfield wall that chased Shirley and put the Ravens ahead for good.

"I just got back to sitting back on the ball more and got a good pitch to hit," said Close. "I knew it was going because I didn't feel it hit the bat."

Shea was named Most Valuable Player at the Regional as he hit .500 (6-12) with five runs scored, serving as the Ravens top table-setter all weekend. Joining Shea (LF) on the All-Regional team from Franklin Pierce were Close (RF), Callahan (2B), Coughlin (1B) and senior right-hander Jon White (Medford, Mass./Arlington Catholic).

"This is what we talked about back when we were freshmen," said McAuliffe. "We wanted to get to the World Series by the end of our four years. Right now I'm on cloud nine."

 BOX SCORE

Batteries:
FP -- Tyler Cummings, Greg Basile (8) and Eric Cavers
UML -- Shirley, Ouellette (7) and Mottram

WP: Cummings (7-4)
LP: Shirley (3-5)
SV: Basile (1)
HR: McCusker (4); Close (4).