Greyhounds take 7-2 lead in the eighth, withstand late Ravens
rally
RINDGE, N.H. (April 12,
2005) - Assumption College took a 7-2 lead in the top of
the eighth, then withstood a late rally, to post a 7-6 upset of
Franklin Pierce, ranked No. 29 in this week's Collegiate
Baseball magazine Division II coaches' poll, in Northeast-10
Conference baseball action at Dr. Arthur and Martha Pappas Field
this afternoon.
Assumption, which hands Franklin
Pierce its first loss in three games on its new field, got huge
production from the middle of its line up. The Greyhounds Nos. 3
through seven hitters were a combined 12-for-23 on the afternoon,
accounting for all but two of their 14 hits on the day.
Junior Matt Cavallaro
(West Haven, Conn./West Haven) led the Greyhounds as
he hit 3-for-4 with an RBI and two runs scored. Senior
Brandon Brower (Middleboro,
Mass./Coyle-Cassidy) was 3-5 with a run scored, while
sophomore Matt Butcaris (Beacon Falls,
Conn./Seymour) hit 2-4 with an RBI. Junior
Tyler Vivian (Ashland, Mass./Marian) and
freshman Brian Quaglieri (Shrewsbury, Mass./St.
John's) each finished 2-5, while Quaglieri registered
a double and two runs scored.
Freshman Ryan Collins
(Sagamore Beach, Mass./Bourne) earned his first
collegiate win (1-3) as he allowed five runs, three earned, on
seven hits with seven strikeouts and a walk over seven-plus
innings. Junior Nick Andrade (Hopkinton,
Mass./Hopkinton) pitched a perfect inning and a
third, with a strikeout, to post his second save of the season.
Sophomore Garrett Olson
(Norway, Maine/Oxford Hills) led Franklin Pierce as
he hit 3-for-5 with a double and two RBI, extending his current
hitting streak to 16 games. Junior Shawn Hayes
(Charlton, Mass./Holy Name) was 2-5 with an RBI and
two steals, while sophomore Vinny Pennell (Spencer,
Mass./David Prouty) was 2-4 with his
Conference-leading 13th steal of the
season.
Sophomore Kim Hart
(Gorham, Maine/Gorham) registered two RBI, while
junior Mike Chambers (Londonderry,
N.H./Londonderry) laced a single in the eighth and
has hit safely in all 19 games this season, breaking the program's
single-season record of 18 games set by Scott Loiseau and Paul
McAuliffe in 2001.
Junior Tyler Cummings
(South Paris, Maine/Oxford Hills) took the loss for
the Ravens as he was hit for five runs, three earned, on ten hits
with three strikeouts and a walk in seven innings.
The two teams traded runs through
the first two innings, but Assumption took the lead for good with
two in the fourth. The first three hitters reached and Butcaris
fouled out down the line in right, but the fly ball was deep enough
to sacrifice home Cavallaro. Cummings seemed to induce an
inning-ending double-play ball when sophomore Bill
Flaherty (Braintree, Mass./Braintree) hit a come
backer to the mound, but Cummings was undecided on what to do,
allowing Vivian to score.
Assumption added an unearned run in
the fifth, and then seemed to break the game open with two more in
the eighth to open a 7-2 lead. Quaglieri led off the eighth with a
double and later scored on a passed ball. Flaherty followed with an
RBI single.
Franklin Pierce rallied with four
in the home half to close within a run. The first three batters
reached and Hart greeted freshman reliever Tony Coppola
(Milford, Mass./Milford) with a two-run single down
the right field line. Junior Randy Fenton (Worcester,
Mass./Doherty) added a pinch-hit sac fly and Olson
followed with a ringing RBI double down the leftfield line to pull
the Ravens within a run and chase Coppola. However, Andrade came on
an induced an inning-ending pop-up with runners on second and third
and set down the Ravens in order in the ninth.
Franklin Pierce (12-7, 6-4 NE-10)
and Assumption (3-17, 2-8 NE-10) conclude their two-game midweek
series on Thursday in Worcester, Mass., at 3:30 p.m. The Ravens
return home on Friday to host Granite State rivals Southern New
Hampshire University at 3:30 p.m.
BOX
SCORE & PLAY-BY-PLAY
