Second-seeded Ravens top
third-seeded Stonehill, 7-4, to claim title Fenton named
Tournament MVP after hitting.500 with three RBI on the weekend
LOWELL, Mass. (May 15,
2005) - Second-seeded Franklin Pierce, ranked No. 27 in
this week's Collegiate Baseball magazine Division II poll,
won its first Northeast-10 Conference Championship with a 7-4
victory over third-seeded Stonehill College at LeLacheur Park this
afternoon.
Franklin Pierce (30-12, 21-9
NE-10), which reaches the 30-win plateau for the fourth-straight
season, awaits official word from the NCAA Division II selection
committee later tonight regarding its seeding as the Ravens are a
virtual lock for their second NCAA Tournament berth in program
history. There is a good chance that the Ravens could leapfrog No.
24 Southern Connecticut State University, who fell out of the NE-10
Championships in two-straight games, for the top spot in the region
and host the Northeast Regional later this week at Dr. Arthur and
Martha Pappas Field. Stonehill (27-20, 17-13 NE-10) awaits word
regarding an NCAA Tournament berth as
well.
Junior captain Randy
Fenton (Worcester, Mass./Doherty) was named the
Northeast-10 Tournament's Most Valuable Player as he hit an even
.500 (6-for-12) with two runs scored and a team-best three RBI over
Franklin Pierce's three wins. He was 3-for-4 and delivered a clutch
two-run single with two out in the eighth inning of yesterday's 4-3
comeback win over UMass Lowell. Today, Fenton was 2-4 with an RBI
and run scored, extending his current hitting streak to eight games
and is now hitting a team-leading .519 (14-27) with two doubles,
five RBI and eight runs scored in the month of
May.
Junior Shawn Hayes
(Charlton, Mass./Holy Name) was 3-4 for the Ravens
today with a pair of doubles, a stolen base and RBI. Freshman
Matt Anderson (Medford, Mass./Medford)
was 3-4 with a double and RBI, while sophomore Vinny
Pennell (Spencer, Mass./David Prouty) finished 2-5
with a double and two runs scored. Sophomore Garrett
Olson (Norway, Maine/Oxford Hills) hit 2-5 with an
RBI and two runs scored, while junior Mike Chambers
(Londonderry, N.H./Londonderry) registered a pair of
RBI.
Junior Tyler Cummings
(South Paris, Maine/Oxford Hills) collected his third
win of the season (6-3) allowing four earned runs on ten hits with
three strikeouts and three walks over six innings of
work.
Junior Mike Farrell
(Russell, Mass./Gateway Regional) and sophomore
Eric Grabowski (Worcester, Mass./David
Prouty) combined for three innings of no-hit shutout
relief, as Franklin Pierce's bullpen did not surrender a run in 7.2
innings of work over the three games this weekend. Grabowski
pitched a scoreless ninth, striking out one, to pick up his second
save of the season (both this weekend against
Stonehill).
Sophomore Matt Vaughn
(Bow, N.H./Bow) led Stonehill's offense by going
2-for-3 with an RBI and run scored. Junior Sean
Lawrence (New Rochelle, N.Y./Fordham Prep) was 2-4
with an RBI, while senior Tim Flynn (Clifton Park,
N.Y./Albany Academy) hit 2-5. Senior
Craig Audette (Raynham,
Mass./Bridgewater-Raynham) was 1-4 with an RBI and
run scored.
Junior right-hander
Billy Sittig (West Roxbury, Mass./Central
Catholic), who was tabbed the Northeast-10's Pitcher
of the Year after the game, suffered just his second loss of the
season (9-2). Pitching on three days rest, he was hit for seven
earned runs on 13 hits and three walks with four strikeouts over
seven innings of
work.
Franklin Pierce took the early lead
with single runs in the first and second. Olson opened the bottom
of the first with a bloop single down the right field line and
later scored on a single to right center by Hayes. It marked the
22nd time this season the Ravens have scored in the
first inning (18-4 record) as they struck in the first in each of
their three Tournament games this weekend. Pennell led off the
second with a double down the leftfield line and later scored on an
Anderson single to
center.
Stonehill scored four runs in the
top of the fourth despite just two of its seven hits in the frame
making it out of the infield. Vaughn delivered a two-out RBI
infield single to start things off, reaching second on a Hayes
throwing error. Audette followed with a chop infield hit that
scored Vaughn, but an Olson throwing error allowed sophomore
Adam Pardo (Hanover, Mass./Hanover) to
score as well and put Audette in scoring position. Lawrence
delivered a single to left to score Audette with the Chieftains
fourth run.
Franklin Pierce answered right back
with four runs of its own in the home half of the frame. Olson drew
a walk and junior Elliott Shea (Jaffrey,
N.H./Conant) was hit by a pitch with one out and the
bases load to knot the score. Chambers followed with a two-run
single to left that gave the Ravens the lead for good.
Franklin Pierce added an insurance
run in the seventh as Fenton delivered a one-out RBI single to
right that scored Pennell, who led off the inning with a single.
BOX
SCORE & PLAY-BY-PLAY
