Qualben silences Ravens bats with 7.2 shutout innings and
13 strikeouts
RINDGE, N.H. (April 19,
2005) - Franklin Pierce, ranked No. 29 in this week's
Collegiate Baseball magazine Division II poll, was shutout for the
first time this season as Pace University, ranked fourth in this
week's National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA)
Northeast Regional rankings, posted a 3-0 victory in Northeast-10
Conference baseball action at Dr. Arthur and Martha Pappas Field
this afternoon.
Pace sophomore left-hander
David Qualben (Brooklyn, N.Y./Xavier)
pitched 7.2 innings of six-hit shutout innings, striking out 13 and
walking none to pick up his fourth win of the season (4-3). He held
the Ravens to just three hits over the first six innings. Sophomore
right-hander David Oakes (Bristol, Conn./Bristol
Eastern) came on with two on in the eighth and
collected his eighth save of the season (record 10th
career), matching the single-season record at the University. He
allowed just a hit with two strikeouts and a hit batter in an
inning and a third.
Junior Mike Pahira
(Hombel, N.J./Hombel) was the lone Setter with
multiple hits as he finished 2-for-4 with an RBI. Classmate
Brian Hollrah (Glenwood, Md./Gleneig) was
1-3 with a double, stolen base, RBI and two runs scored.
Sophomore Vinny Pennell
(Spencer, Mass./David Prouty) was 2-for-4 for
Franklin Pierce with a stolen base, while junior Shawn
Hayes (Charlton, Mass./Holy Name) was 2-3 with a
steal.
Junior right-hander
Keith Brouillard (Westport,
Mass./Somerset) took the loss for the Ravens (0-2),
allowing an earned run on a hit and four walks with two strikeouts
in four-plus innings of work.
The game breezed through the first
four innings as both teams combined for just three hits (two by the
Ravens) over that time. Pace struck in the fifth as Hollrah walked,
stole second and advanced to third on a wild pitch before scoring
when Pahira grounded into a double play off Franklin Pierce
reliever Mike Farrell (Russell, Mass./Gateway
Regional).
Franklin Pierce threatened in the
home half as junior Bryan Duplissie (East Swanzey,
N.H./Monadnock Regional) reached on an error and
Pennell singled, but a sacrifice attempt failed and Duplissie was
caught off second base. Freshman Matt Anderson
(Medford, Mass./Medford) reached on another error and
he and Pennell got into scoring position on a wild pitch, but
Qualben got a groundout to escape unscathed.
Pace struck for two in the seventh
as freshman Jack Cawley (Bronx, N.Y./Iona
Prep) reached on an error and scored on Hollrah's
double to the gap in left center. Pahira drove in Hollrah with a
sharp single to right center.
The Ravens loaded the bases in the
eighth with two out as junior Randy Fenton (Worcester,
Mass./Doherty) and sophomore Garrett
Olson (Norway, Maine/Oxford Hills) singled to chase
Qualben. Oakes hit the first batter he faced to load the bags, but
he escaped the jam with a ground out before retiring the side in
order in the ninth.
Franklin Pierce (16-9, 10-6 NE-10)
and Pace (20-11) continue their two-game midweek series on Thursday
in Pleasantville, N.Y., at 3:30 p.m. The Setters, who have won 20
games for the first time under current head coach Henry
Manning also host Felician College tomorrow at 3:30
p.m.
BOX
SCORE & PLAY-BY-PLAY
