Eagles hand Ravens worst loss in almost three years
FORT MYERS, Fla. (March 23,
2006) - Florida Gulf Coast University, ranked No. 21 in
this week's Collegiate Baseball magazine Division II poll,
opened a 9-0 lead after two innings and cruised to a 14-1 victory
over No. 7 Franklin Pierce in a non-conference baseball match up at
Swanson Stadium this evening.
Florida Gulf Coast, winners of
eight straight and 11 of its last 12, handed Franklin Pierce its
worst loss in almost three years when the Ravens were handed a 17-0
setback at UMass Lowell in the Northeast-10 Conference Tournament
on May 10, 2003. The Eagles 14 runs and 16 hits are the most
allowed by the Ravens this season and FCGU also limited the Ravens
offense to less than ten hits for just the second time this season
(both losses).
Senior Jason Louwsma
(Sanford, Fla.) led the Florida Gulf Coast offense as
he hit 3-for-5 with a double, three runs scored and five RBI.
Freshman Josh Upchurch (Cape Coral,
Fla./Mariner) was 3-3 with a double, three runs
scored and an RBI, while sophomore Graig Smith (Venice,
Fla./Venice) hit 3-5 with a double, RBI and two runs
scored.
Junior Chris Hassen
(Port Charlotte, Fla./Port Charlotte) led four FGCU
pitchers that kept the Ravens offensive attack in check with three
shutout innings of work, allowing just two hits with a walk and
strikeout over three innings to pick up the win (3-1). Junior
Justin Stiver (Englewood, Fla.), a
transfer from the University of Florida, allowed just a hit and
walk over four shutout innings with four
strikeouts.
Junior Kim Hart
(Gorham, Maine/Gorham) was the lone Franklin Pierce
batter with multiple hits as he finished 2-for-4 with an RBI.
Freshman Scott Savastano (Plymouth, Mass./Plymouth
North) was 1-2 with a walk, while junior
Jake Christman (Newton, Mass./Newton
South) roped a double in his lone at bat and scored
the Ravens lone run.
Junior right-hander
Daniel Fournier (Worcester, Mass./Holy
Name) suffered his first loss of the season (2-1) as
he was hit for eight runs, seven earned, on six hits and two walks
in an inning plus of work. Fournier saw his bid to break former
teammate Keith Brouillard's record for consecutive shutout innings
come to an end just a third of an inning shy of the mark. FGCU
plated a pair of runs with one out in the bottom of the first,
snapping Fournier's shutout streak at 17.1 innings to open the
season.
The Eagles sent 12 batters to the
plate and scored seven runs in the second inning to open a 9-0
lead. Louwsma sparked the frame with a two-run single, while junior
Geoff Rottmayer (Clearwater, Fla.) added
a solo home run. FGCU added three more runs in the fifth, thanks to
an RBI single from Louwsma and a Rottmayer sacrifice fly. Upchurch
and Louwsma each collected RBI singles as the Eagles rounded out
its scoring with two runs in the eighth.
Franklin Pierce avoided the shutout
with a single run in the ninth. Christman roped a one out double to
right center, and then scored two batters later as Hart singled
through the right side.
Franklin Pierce (13-3, 0-0 NE-10)
heads back across the Florida peninsula and opens a three-game
series with Nova Southeastern University, receiving votes in this
week's Collegiate Baseball magazine poll, in Fort
Lauderdale, tomorrow night at 6 p.m. Florida Gulf Coast (22-5)
visits Clark Atlanta University for a doubleheader Monday at 4 p.m.
Boxscore
& Play-by-Play
