River Hawks score two in the top of the ninth 
to upset 7th-ranked Ravens

LOWELL, Mass. (May 12, 2006) - Fourth-seeded UMass Lowell scored two runs in the top of the ninth to post a 2-1 upset victory over top-seeded and No. 7-ranked Franklin Pierce in semifinal round action of the 2006 Northeast-10 Conference Baseball Championship, presented by Diamond Sports, this morning.

UMass Lowell (35-12, 20-10 NE-10) advances to the championship game scheduled to be played later this afternoon. The River Hawks will face the winner of today's second semifinal between second-seeded Stonehill College (28-16, 22-8 NE-10) and third-seeded Southern Connecticut State University (32-16, 20-10 NE-10). The Northeast-10 changed from the usual double-elimination format to a single-elimination event due to the impending weather forecast for the weekend.

Franklin Pierce (40-10, 25-5 NE-10) awaits word on an at-large NCAA Division II Tournament bid, which is scheduled to be announced on Monday. The Ravens are seeking their second-straight NCAA berth (third overall). They captured the 2003 Northeast Regional title en route to their lone appearance in the Division II College World Series in program history.            

The loss squandered a superb outing from junior right-hander Shane Presutti (Southbridge, Mass./Southbridge), who extended his school-record scoreless inning streak to 34.1 innings before the River Hawks scored twice in the ninth to hand him his first loss of the season (9-1). He was touched for two earned runs on four hits with a season-high 12 strikeouts and just two walks in 8.1 innings of work. Presutti faced the minimum through the first five innings (allowing a first-inning hit, which was erased on a double-play), yielding just two hits and two walks over the first eight scoreless innings.

Junior Pat Donovan (Lowell, Mass./Lowell) earned the win in relief, yielding two hits over 1.1 scoreless innings of work. He entered the game with a runner on second and two out in the eighth before forcing a lineout to end the threat. Junior left-hander Pete Nickerson (Dracut, Mass./Dracut) yielded just an unearned run on four hits over the first 7.2 innings, striking out one and walking none.

Junior Steve Paddock (Milford, Mass./Milford) paced the River Hawks offense as he hit 1-for-4 with an RBI, while classmate Sean Patno (Chelmsford, Mass./Chelmsford) was 1-4 with a stolen base and run scored.

Senior All-American Bryan Duplissie (East Swanzey, N.H./Monadnock Regional) led the Ravens, who suffered just their fourth loss in 40 games in which they have out-hit their opponent, as he hit 2-for-4. Senior Elliot Shea (Jaffrey, N.H./Conant) was 1-3 with an RBI, while classmate Randy Fenton (Worcester, Mass./Doherty) was 1-3 with a run scored.            

Patno sparked UMass Lowell's ninth-inning rally with a leadoff single. He stole second before Presutti issued a walk to junior Patrick Wilson (Dracut, Mass./Bishop Guertin). Paddock followed with a one-out single to left and Patno beat a high throw to the plate with the tying run, ending Presutti's scoreless inning streak.

Paddock was also responsible for Presutti's last run allowed with a leadoff homerun in the eighth inning of the Ravens 13-5 victory on April 13. The winning run scored when senior Tim Dempsey (Lexington, Mass./Lexington) beat out a double-play ball up the middle, which would have ended the inning, off Ravens reliever Arric Mather (Danville, N.H./Winnacunnet).

Franklin Pierce, which had a streak of 86-straight wins when leading after eight innings dating back to May 2003, halted, opened the scoring with an unearned run in the third. Fenton reached on a throwing error, which allowed him to advance to second, with two out. Shea drove him home with a single to left.

The Ravens loaded the bases with one out in the ninth, but Donovan escaped the jam with a double-play ball from Franklin Pierce junior Kim Hart (Gorham, Maine/Gorham).

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