Ravens open three-game weekend series with doubleheader sweep

NORTH ANDOVER, Mass. (April 9, 2005) - Franklin Pierce, ranked second in this week's National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) Division II Northeast Region poll, swept a Northeast-10 Conference baseball doubleheader with Merrimack College at Warrior Field this afternoon. The Ravens posted an 8-2 victory in game one, before rallying for a 7-3 decision in the nightcap.

Junior Mike Chambers (Londonderry, N.H./Londonderry) and sophomore Garrett son (Norway, Maine/Oxford Hills) both extended long hitting streaks for Franklin Pierce. Chambers has now hit safely in all 17 games for the Ravens this season after going 2-for-5 with a double and RBI in game one and 1-4 with a double and two runs scored in the nightcap. Olson has hit in 14-straight after a 2-4 outing in game one and a 1-5 game in the nightcap. 

In game one, Franklin Pierce took a 4-2 lead after three, then broke things open with a four-run seventh in the 8-2 triumph.            

Junior Shawn Hayes (Charlton, Mass./Holy Name) hit 2-for-3 with a double, stolen base and an RBI for Franklin Pierce. Classmate Mike Chambers was 2-5 with a double, two runs scored and an RBI, while sophomore Garrett Olson added a 2-4 effort and a steal.

Senior Bryan Borowski (Clarksburg, Mass./Drury) picked up the win (2-1), yielding the two earned runs on five hits and two walks with six strikeouts over seven innings.

Sophomore David Paquette (Medford, N.Y./Patchogue-Medford) was the lone Merrimack player with multiple hits as he was 2-4 with a double. Classmate Rick Sotiropoulos (Ipswich, Mass./Ipswich) was 1-2 with a walk and an RBI, while junior Justin Murphy (South Easton, Mass./Oliver Ames) was 1-4 with a double and RBI.

Freshman Scott Rafferty (Greenland, N.H./St. Thomas Aquinas) suffered the loss as he surrendered four earned runs on six hits with a strikeout and a walk in three innings.  

Franklin Pierce struck for a pair in the top of the first as Olson walked, stole second and scored on a Chambers single down the leftfield line. Duplissie drove in Chambers with a single to left with two out. Merrimack answered with a single run in the home half as Murphy doubled in Sotiropoulos (walk).

The Ravens added two more in the third with Hayes registering an RBI single and later scoring on a Vinny Pennell (Spencer, Mass./David Prouty) single. The Warriors scored again in the bottom of the frame with Sotiropoulos driving in junior Ryan Dolan (Pawtucket, R.I./Tolman) with a sacrifice fly.

Franklin Pierce broke the game open with four in the seventh. Sophomore Kim Hart (Gorham, Maine/Gorham) and freshman Matt Anderson (Medford, Mass./Medford) registered an RBI singles, with junior Bryan Duplissie (East Swanzey, N.H./Monadnock Regional) scoring on a wild pitch and Pennell scoring on a throwing error on the Anderson single.

BOX SCORE & PLAY-BY-PLAY

In the nightcap, Franklin Pierce trailed 2-1 after four innings, but scored six runs over the sixth and seventh frames to collect the 7-3 victory.            

Shawn Hayes hit 2-for-5 for the visitors with a double, stolen base and two RBI. Vinny Pennell finished 2-4 with a pair of steals (11^th and 12^th of the season) and an RBI.

Bryan Duplissie picked up the win on the mound (2-0) as he yielded two unearned runs on four hits with six strikeouts and two walks over seven innings for the Ravens. He also hit 2-5 with an RBI at the plate.

Scott Rafferty claimed half of the Merrimack hit total in the game as he finished 2-4 with a run scored. Senior Taylor Edler (Merrimack, N.H./Merrimack) was 1-3.

Freshman Josh Sohn (West Simsbury, Conn./Simsbury) suffered the loss as he surrendered seven runs, just two earned, on eight hits and two walks with six strikeouts over 6.2 innings.  

Merrimack scored first with a single run in the second as Rafferty singled to center and later scored on an error. Franklin Pierce answered with a run in the top of the third when Olson singled and scored when Chambers reached on a fielding error.

The Warriors forged ahead again with a run in the fourth when freshman Nicholas Karthas (Botwell, Wash./Archbishop Murphy) reached on an error and later scored on a delayed steal of home. The Ravens answered with a pair in the sixth. Hayes roped an RBI double and scored on a delayed steal with Pennell.

Franklin Pierce broke the game open with four in the seventh. Hayes, Duplissie and Pennell each registered RBI singles and Olson scored when Chambers reached on an error.

BOX SCORE & PLAY-BY-PLAY

Franklin Pierce (11-6, 5-3 NE-10) and Merrimack (4-15, 3-5 NE-10) complete their three-game weekend series tomorrow afternoon at Dr. Arthur and Martha Pappas Field in Rindge, N.H., at 1 p.m.