Fighting Sioux win tenth-straight, Ravens have dropped three-straight

FORT MYERS, Fla. (March 17, 2004) - The green and white of the University of North Dakota celebrated St. Patrick's Day by sweeping Franklin Pierce, ranked No. 4 in this week's National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) Northeast Region poll, in a non-conference baseball doubleheader at the Gene Cusic Classic this afternoon. The Fighting Sioux posted a 9-3 victory in game one before rallying for a 10-7 decision in the nightcap.

In game one, North Dakota scored nine runs on 16 hits as it hit its way to victory. Trailing 3-2 after two innings, the Fighting Sioux took the lead for good with five runs in the third. Senior shortstop Mark Olson (Roseau, Minn.) sparked the rally with an RBI triple, then scored on a single by junior Brad Willis (Hibbing, Minn.). Senior Brad Jaeger (Dickinson, N.D.) and junior Lucas Koenig (Prairie du Sac, Wis.) each added RBI singles and sophomore Jason Fairchild (Bemidji, Minn.) scored on a wild pitch in the frame.

Sophomore right-hander Mike Farrell (Russell, Mass./Gateway) took the loss for the Ravens, allowing eight earned runs on ten hits with no walks and a strikeout in 3.1 innings of work.

Junior Eric Cavers (Otisfield, Maine/Oxford Hills) led the Franklin Pierce offense, as he was 2-for-3 with a walk and an RBI. Sophomore Mike Chambers (Londonderry, N.H./Londonderry) finished 2-3 with a double, while freshman Vinnie Pennell (Spencer, Mass./David Prouty) was 2-3 with an RBI and run scored.

After UND scored twice in the top of the second, Franklin Pierce rallied with three in the bottom of the inning. Freshman Kim Hart (Gorham, Maine/Gorham) singled to score sophomore Mike Feetham (Quincy, Mass./North Quincy) and later scored on an RBI double by Pennell. Cavers drove in Pennell with a single to give the Ravens a 3-2 lead heading into the third. 

BOX SCORE & PLAY-BY-PLAY

Batteries:
UND - Jeff Reinke and Lucas Koenig.
FP - Mike Farrell, Neil Cacciola (4) and Eric Cavers.  

WP: Reinke
LP: Farrell (0-1)              

In the nightcap, North Dakota sophomore Troy Wasiloski (Fergus Falls, Minn.) capped a comeback from a 7-2 deficit after four innings with a three-run homer in the bottom of the sixth to give the Fighting Sioux a 10-7 victory. The three-run shot was Wasiloski's second homer of the game as his two-run bomb in the bottom of the first game UND a 2-0 lead.

Junior Marty Johnson (Grand Forks, N.D.) gave North Dakota a chance for the comeback as he entered the game in the fifth, trailing 7-2, and pitched three innings of no-hit relief, allowing just a walk, with no strikeouts.

Senior Dante Blancarte (Amesbury, Mass./Amesbury) led the Franklin Pierce offense by hitting 3-4 with a home run and three RBI. Chambers finished 2-4 with a run scored, while Hart was 2-4 with three RBI and Pennell was 2-3 with a double and RBI.

Redshirt freshman Matt Fisher (Athol, Mass./Athol) suffered the loss as he yielded two earned runs on two hits with four walks in two-thirds of an inning of relief. Junior Keith Brouillard (Westport, Mass./Somerset) went the first 3.1 innings and allowed seven earned runs on eight hits with two walks and a strikeout.

After Wasiloski's homer gave UND a 2-0 lead after an inning, Franklin Pierce responded with two runs in the second as Hart registered an RBI single, then scored on a single by Pennell. The Ravens added two more in the third as Hart roped a two-run single to score Chambers and freshman Garrett Olson (Norway, Maine/Oxford Hills). Blancarte's three-run homer in the fourth gave the Ravens a 7-2 advantage before North Dakota mounted its comeback to collect its tenth-straight victory.

BOX SCORE & PLAY-BY-PLAY

Batteries:
FP - Keith Brouillard, Matt Fisher (5), Clay Jenkins (6) and Eric Cavers.
UND - Matt Reich, Marty Johnson (5) and Blair Mileski.  

WP: Johnson
LP: Fisher (0-2)
HR: Troy Wasiloski 2 (1^st, 2-run; 6^th, 3-run), Dante Blancarte (4^th, 3-run)

Franklin Pierce (5-8) looks to put an end to its three-game skid tomorrow when it faces Caldwell College at 9 a.m., before taking on Teikyo Post University at noon. North Dakota (11-5) battles Wayne State (Mich.) University tomorrow at 9 a.m.