Chambers homer puts Ravens up for
good and take two of three in weekend series
SPARTANBURG, S.C. (February
19, 2006) - Franklin Pierce, ranked No. 20 in this week's
Collegiate Baseball magazine Division II Coaches' poll,
took the rubber game of its three-game weekend series with the
University of South Carolina Upstate, posting a 9-3 victory in
non-conference baseball action at Harley Park today.
Senior second baseman
Mike Chambers' (Londonderry,
N.H./Londonderry) first home run of the season in the
seventh inning broke a 3-3 tie and sent Franklin Pierce on to six
unanswered runs and its second win in three contests with USC
Upstate this weekend. Chambers finished 1-for-4 with a stolen base
and three runs scored for the Ravens.
Sophomore Matt Anderson
(Medford, Mass./Medford) was 3-4 with a pair of RBI,
while freshman Scott Savastano (Plymouth,
Mass./Plymouth North), a 33rd round draft
pick of the Chicago White Sox in 2005, was a perfect 3-3 with a
double, stolen base and RBI. Junior Vinny Pennell
(Spencer, Mass./David Prouty) was 2-3 with a stolen
base and RBI, while senior All-American Bryan Duplissie
(East Swanzey, N.H./Monadnock Regional) and junior
Kim Hart (Gorham, Maine/Gorham) each
added a pair of hits and an RBI.
Sophomore Shane
Presutti (Southbridge, Mass./Quinsigamond CC) earned
the win with four innings of two-hit shutout relief, fanning three
and walking none in his debut for the
Ravens.
No USC Upstate batters registered
multiple hits on the day as senior Matt Goyea (St.
Charles, Mo.) finished 1-for-4 with an RBI and run
scored. Sophomore Kyle Bowley (Apopka,
Fla.) was 1-2 with a double and run scored, while
junior Bret Hansen (Charlotte, N.C.) was
1-4 with a double and run scored.
Sophomore Scott Eckard
(Lake Mary, Fla.) suffered the loss in his first
decision of the season, yielding four runs, just one earned, on
eight hits and three walks with four strikeouts in seven innings of
work.
For the third-straight game,
Franklin Pierce scored in the top of the first, this time with
three unearned as a result of three USC Upstate errors in the
frame. Duplissie had the Ravens lone hit of the inning with an RBI
single with one out.
After the Ravens left the bases
loaded in the top of the fourth, USCU rallied with three in the
home half to knot the score. Goyea collected an RBI single after
Hansen led off with a double. The Spartans also added runs as a
result of a wild pitch and on a ground out.
Chambers put the Ravens up for good
with his solo blast to left with two out in the seventh. Franklin
Pierce added a run in the eighth with an Anderson RBI single to
right center, and then broke the game wide open with four in the
ninth. Hart drove in Chambers, who was hit by a pitch, to lead off
the inning and Savastano and Anderson each added RBI singles.
Pennell also scored when he stole home on a delayed double steal
with Savastano.
Franklin Pierce (2-1, 0-0 NE-10) is
scheduled to return to action on Friday, March 3, when it visits
Wilmington (Del.) College for a doubleheader at 1 p.m. USC Upstate
(5-4, 0-0 Peach Belt) hosts Mars Hill College on Tuesday at 4 p.m.
Boxscore
& Play-by-Play
