Ravens winners of 14 of last 15 after 5-3 and 6-1
decisions
RINDGE, N.H. (April 14,
2007) - Franklin Pierce, ranked eighth in this week's
National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) Division
II poll and 13th in the Collegiate Baseball
magazine poll, swept a doubleheader from Saint Anselm College in
Northeast-10 Conference baseball action at Dr. Arthur and Martha
Pappas Field. The Ravens scratched out a 5-3 victory in game one,
before notching a 6-1 decision in the nightcap.
Senior Vinny Pennell
(Spencer, Mass./David Prouty) was a combined 5-for-9 at
the plate for Franklin Pierce with a double, run scored, three RBI
and four stolen bases. Classmate Jake Christman (Newton,
Mass./Newton South) was 5-7 over the twin bill with two
runs scored, two steals and an RBI, while senior Cory
Shepherd (Worcester, Mass./Burncoat) hit 3-6 with a
double, run scored and three RBI.
Senior Wayne MacKay
(Melrose, Mass./Melrose) was 3-for-7 for Saint Anselm with
a double and two RBI, while classmate Chris Greeke
(Hamilton, Mass./Hamilton-Wenham) was also 3-7 with a
double and RBI.
Franklin Pierce 5, Saint
Anselm 3
Franklin Pierce scored single runs in the sixth, seventh and eighth
innings in notching the opening victory.
Vinny Pennell was 3-for-5 with a
double, stolen base and two RBI, while junior Matt Anderson
(Medford, Mass./Medford) was 3-5 with a double, steal and
RBI. Cory Shepherd hit 1-2 with a walk, double and two RBI, while
Jake Christman finished 2-3 with a run
scored.
Sophomore Tom Cote
(Swanzey, N.H./Monadnock Regional) collected his
team-leading fifth win of the season (5-1), scattering three runs,
two earned, on six hits and two walks with three strikeouts over
7.2 innings. Junior Tyler Bishop (Milford,
N.H./Milford) earned his fifth save of the season by
recording the final four outs, two by strikeout.
Wayne MacKay was 2-for-4 for Saint
Anselm with a double and two RBI, while junior Shane
Masotta (Woburn, Mass./Tilton (N.H.)) finished 2-4 with a
run scored. Senior John Welch (Medford, Mass./Malden
Catholic) hit 2-4 with a run scored.
Senior lefthander Jack
Reilly (Londonderry, N.H./Loomis Chafee) took the loss
(3-3), yielding five earned runs on 12 hits with four strikeouts
and a walk over eight innings.
Franklin Pierce opened the scoring
with two in the fourth as Pennell delivered a two-out two run
double to right center. Saint Anselm knotted the score again in the
home half with a two-run double by MacKay.
The Hawks took a one run lead in
the fifth with an Adam Hussey (Danvers, Mass./St. John's
Prep) sacrifice fly that scored Masotta (leadoff single).
The Ravens tied things at 3-3 in the sixth as senior Kim
Hart (Gorham, Maine/Gorham) led off with a single and
later scored on Shepherd's double down the leftfield line.
Franklin Pierce took the lead for
good in the seventh and added an insurance run in the eighth.
Anderson belted an RBI double to right center in the seventh and
Christman singled and scored on a sac fly from Shepherd in the
eighth.
BOXSCORE
& PLAY-BY-PLAY
Franklin Pierce 6,
Assumption 1
Franklin Pierce opened a 4-0 lead after an inning and a
half and never looked back, stranding 13 Saint Anselm base runners,
to complete the sweep.
Jake Christman was 3-for-4 with a
pair of stolen bases, a run scored and RBI, while Vinny Pennell
finished 2-4 with three steals, a run scored and RBI. Cory Shepherd
was 2-4 with an RBI, while Kim Hart added a 2-4 performance with a
double, RBI and run scored. Junior Kevin Renaud
(Southbridge, Mass./Southbridge) chipped in with two
RBI.
Sophomore Mike Adams
(Orchard Park, N.Y./Orchard Park) improved to 3-0 on the
mound for the Ravens, allowing an earned run on eight hits with
three strikeouts and two walks over five innings.
Chris Greeke was 3-4 with a double
and RBI, while senior Mark Wysocki (New Britain, Conn./New
Britain) hit 3-4.
Senior Jeff Keefe
(Cambridge, Mass./Arlington Catholic) fell to 0-5 on the
year, surrendering five earned runs on eight hits with four
strikeouts and two walks in 7.0 innings.
Franklin Pierce jumped ahead with a
single run in the first. Junior Keith Renaud (Southbridge,
Mass./Southbridge) drew a one out walk, stole second and
third and scored on twin brother Kevin Renaud's single through the
left side. The Ravens scored three times in the second. Hart
followed a lead off walk by freshman Kevin Rivers (Bristol,
Conn./Bristol Eastern) with an RBI double. Shepherd added
an RBI single, before Pennell drove in a run with a sacrifice fly.
Franklin Pierce extended its lead
to 5-0 in the fifth as Pennell led off with a single, stole second
and third and later scored on a sacrifice fly from Kevin Renaud.
Saint Anselm got its lone run in the home half with an RBI single
from Greeke through the right side with two out. The Ravens rounded
out the scoring in the eighth on a Christman RBI single.
Saint Anselm left the bases loaded
in the fourth and fifth innings.
Boxscore
& Play-by-Play
Franklin Pierce (27-5, 12-1 NE-10)
and Saint Anselm (5-18, 5-11 NE-10) conclude their three-game
weekend series tomorrow with a single game beginning at 9 a.m. Game
time has been pushed up an extra hour in an attempt to beat the
impending bad weather forecast.
