Ravens sweep four-game two-day series with Post University;
take game one, 7-0, before claiming 11-0 decision in nightcap this
afternoon
RINDGE, N.H. (March 5,
2006) - Franklin Pierce, ranked No. 12 in this week's
Collegiate Baseball magazine Division II Coaches' poll,
finished off a commanding two-day four-game series sweep of Post
University with victories of 7-0 and 11-0 in a non-conference
baseball doubleheader at Dr. Arthur and Martha Pappas Field this
afternoon.
Franklin Pierce has won
six-straight and is off to a 6-1 start for the first time in
program history after the four wins over Post this weekend. Senior
Elliott Shea (Jaffrey, N.H./Conant) paced
the Ravens offensive attack by hitting a combined 5-for-7 with five
runs scored, a double, two triples, a home run and two RBI on the
day. Junior Vinny Pennell (Spencer, Mass./David
Prouty) was 3-for-5 with three runs scored, a homer
and three RBI.
Seven Raven pitchers limited the
Eagles to seven hits, just one for extra bases, in 14 shutout
innings for the day.
In game one, Franklin Pierce jumped
out to a 3-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning and three Raven
pitchers combined for a three-hit shutout in the 7-0
triumph.
Junior All-American
Garrett Olson (Norway, Maine/Oxford
Hills) led the offense as he hit 3-for-4 with a
double and run scored, while Shea was 2-4 with a triple, RBI and
two runs scored. Senior All-American Bryan Duplissie
(East Swanzey, N.H./Monadnock Regional) finished 2-4
with two runs scored, while Pennell and junior Kim Hart
(Gorham, Maine/Gorham) were both 1-2 with an RBI.
Senior Tyler Cummings
(South Paris, Maine/Oxford Hills) picked up his first
win of the season (1-0) for the Ravens, allowing just two hits with
three strikeouts over five shutout innings.
Senior Pete Smaldone
(Amityville, N.Y.) hit 2-for-2 for Post, while
sophomore Chris Ouelette (Uncasville,
Conn./Montville) was 1-3.
Freshman Brandon Wyman
(Manchester, Conn./East Catholic) suffered the loss
on the mound for the Eagles, yielding six runs, just three earned,
on eight hits and two walks with four strikeouts over five innings.
Franklin Pierce struck for three
runs in the bottom of the first inning as Olson led off with a
double and scored on a Shea single. Senior Mike
Chambers (Londonderry, N.H./Londonderry) drove in
Shea with a sacrifice fly before the final run scored on a
groundout.
The Ravens added a pair in the
third on a sac fly from Hart before Pennell stole home with two
out. The runs came right after Post had its lone threat of the
contest with runners on first and second with one out. Ouelette
delivered a single to center, but Ryan Depolo (Milford,
Conn./North Rockland) was thrown out at the plate and
the next batter lined out to kill the rally. Franklin Pierce
rounded out the scoring with single runs in the fourth and
sixth.
Boxscore
& Play-by-Play
In the nightcap, Franklin Pierce
erupted for nine runs in the fourth inning after scoring a single
run in the first. The Ravens have scored in their first at bat in
six of their seven games this season and 12 of 14 dating back to
last season. Nine of the Ravens 12 hits in the game were for extra
bases, including five home
runs.
Shea was a perfect 3-for-3 at the
plate with a triple, homer, three runs scored and an RBI to lead
the Ravens offense. Chambers finished 2-3 with a homer and three
RBI, while senior Randy Fenton (Worcester,
Mass./Doherty) hit 2-3 with a double, homer and three
RBI. Pennell batted 2-3 with a homer, two runs scored and two RBI.
Duplissie earned the win (1-1),
yielding just two hits in four scoreless innings of work with five
strikeouts and no walks. Three Raven relievers faced just one over
the minimum in the final three frames.
Junior Matt Reault
(Agawam, Mass./Agawam) was one of four Post batters
to go 1-for-3, belting a double in the second inning.
Freshman Matthew Keiser
(Woodbury, Conn./Nonnewaug) suffered the loss on the
mound for the Eagles, surrendering ten earned runs on nine hits and
a walk with two strikeouts in 3.1 innings.
Shea belted his third home run of
the season (second of the weekend) with one out to put Franklin
Pierce on the board in the first. The Ravens broke the game open
with nine in the fourth. Chambers followed a leadoff triple from
Shea with a homer. Duplissie went back-to-back with Chambers for
his second homer of the season, before Fenton belted a three-run
bomb for his first homer of the season. Pennell led off the fifth
with a home run to round out the scoring.
Boxscore
& Play-by-Play
Franklin Pierce (6-1, 0-0 NE-10) is
scheduled to face Queens College on Long Island next Saturday at 3
p.m. Post University (4-7, 0-0 CACC) is slated to face reigning
Northeast Regional champion Southern Connecticut State University
tomorrow at 3 p.m.
