Walks, hit batters costly as Ravens surrender 2-0 lead to
Panthers
MELBOURNE, Fla. (March 23,
2005) - Franklin Pierce, receiving votes in both this
week's Collegiate Baseball magazine and National
Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) Division II polls,
couldn't hold on to a 2-0 lead as it dropped a 6-3 decision to
Florida Tech in non-conference baseball action at Seminick-Hall
Field this afternoon.
Florida Tech took advantage of
seven walks and four hit batters by Franklin Pierce pitching and
scored six runs off just three hits on the day. Senior
Matt VanFleet (Malabar, Fla./Palm Bay)
earned the win on the mound for the Panthers with 3.1 innings of
two-hit shutout relief, striking out six of the 12 batters he
faced.
Franklin Pierce opened the scoring
with two runs in the third. Sophomore Garrett Olson
(Norway, Maine/Oxford Hills) singled through the left
side, then scored on a double from junior Mike Chambers
(Londonderry, N.H./.Londonderry) with two out. Junior
Shawn Hayes (Chartlon, Mass./Holy Name)
followed with a single up the middle to score
Chambers.
Florida Tech knotted the score with
a pair of runs in the fourth. Sophomore Steven Condotta
(Mississauga, Ontario/Mt. Carmel) was hit by a pitch
to open the inning, then stole second and reached third on a passed
ball before scoring on a second passed ball.
Franklin Pierce starter
Clay Jenkins (Easton, N.H./Profile) was
lifted after loading the bases with three walks with just one out.
Sophomore Matt Fisher (Athol,
Mass./Athol) got a groundball from sophomore
Eamonn Powers (Staten Island, N.Y./St. Joseph by the
Sea), but the Ravens couldn't turn two, allowing the
tying run to score.
The Panthers took the lead for good
with a four-run seventh on just two hits. Junior Bryan
Stanton (Merritt Island, Fla./Merritt Island) doubled
to right center to score sophomore Michael Messana
(Pinehurst, N.C./Pinecrest), who was hit by a Fisher
pitch to open the inning. Sophomore Jonathan Baksh
(Mississauga, Ontario/Applewood Heights) singled
through the right side to score Stanton. Condotta scored on a balk
and Baksh scored when junior Randy Pitts (Melbourne,
Fla./Eau Gallie) reached on an error.
Fisher suffered the loss (0-1),
yielding two earned runs on two hits with a strikeout and no walks,
but was also hampered by two hit batters. Jenkins went the first
three and a third and allowed two earned runs on no hits with four
walks and four strikeouts.
Franklin Pierce threatened in the
ninth as its first two batters reached when they were hit by
pitches. However, none were able to score on a Chambers single
through the left side and Hayes drove in junior Randy
Fenton (Worcester, Mass./Doherty) with a sac fly, but
junior Bryan Duplissie (East Swansey, N.H./Monadnock
Regional) was called out looking to end the game.
Sophomore Vinny Pennell
(Spencer, Mass./David Prouty) was a perfect 3-for-3
at the plate for the Ravens with a walk and two steals. Chambers
finished 2-5 with a run scored and RBI, while Hayes was 1-4 with
two RBI. Olson chipped in by hitting 1-3 with a run scored.
No Panther hitters registered
multiple hits as Pitts was 1-3 with a double and RBI, while Baksh
was 1-4 with a run scored and RBI.
Franklin Pierce (4-3, 0-2 NE-10)
returns to action tomorrow when it travels to Fort Myers, Fla., for
the first of two doubleheaders with Minnesota-Duluth over the next
two days at noon. Florida Tech (19-12) hosts Lynn University on
Friday at 3 p.m.
| Teams
| 1
| 2
| 3
| 4
| 5
| 6
| 7
| 8
| 9
| R
| H
| E
|
| FP
| 0
| 0
| 2
| 0
| 0
| 0
| 0
| 0
| 1
| 3
| 8
| 1
|
| FT
| 0
| 0
| 0
| 2
| 0
| 0
| 4
| 0
| x
| 6
| 3
| 0
|
Batteries:
FP - Clay Jenkins, Matt Fisher (4), Tom Gilmore (7), Neil
Cacciola (7), Steve Stocki (7) and Matt Anderson.
FT - Kendall Bos, Mike Campbell (3), Matthew
VanFleet (4), Jeff Koehler (8) and Anthony Mendillo.
WP: VanFleet
(3-2)
LP: Fisher (0-1)
