Top-seeded Ravens advance to Sunday's championship round
RINDGE, N.H. (May 19, 2007)
- Top-seeded Franklin Pierce, ranked 11th in
this week's Collegiate Baseball magazine poll, advances to
the championship round of the 2007 NCAA Division II Northeast
Regional Tournament after posting a 7-2 victory over second-seeded
Adelphi University in game seven of the regional at Dr. Arthur
& Martha Pappas Field this afternoon.
Franklin Pierce (48-9) reaches the
championship round in the regional for the third-straight year and
fourth time in program history tomorrow at noon. The Ravens will
have two cracks at notching its second-straight berth in the
Division II College World Series, at Riverwalk Stadium in
Montgomery, Ala., and third regional title in program history.
Franklin Pierce will face fifth-seeded Bryant University (35-23),
who have staved off elimination after dropping its first game of
the regional, who posted wins over fourth-seeded Caldwell College
(25-15), 3-2 (10 innings), and then Adelphi (35-17), 10-0, to reach
tomorrow's championship round.
Franklin Pierce got strong pitching
for the third-straight game as senior Andrew McNulty
(Norwood, Mass./Norwood), a transfer from Seton Hall
University, made his first start since March 22 and posted his
fourth win (4-1) of the season. He allowed the two earned runs on
four hits with five strikeouts and two walks over 5.2 innings.
Senior Clay Jenkins (Easton, N.H./Profile) allowed
just one baserunner over the final 3.1 innings to notch his first
career save, striking out four without yielding a hit or run.
Senior Jake Christman
(Newton, Mass./Newton South) hit 2-for-4 with a triple and
RBI, while senior Cory Shepherd (Worcester,
Mass./Burncoat) hit 2-for-3 with a stolen base and two
runs scored. Junior Matt Anderson (Medford,
Mass./Medford) batted 2-4 with an RBI and run scored,
while junior Keith Renaud (Southbridge,
Mass./Southbridge) finished 1-2 with a double and four
RBI.
Senior Vinny Pennell
(Spencer, Mass./David Prouty) collected two hits in four
at bats with an RBI, including the 247th of his career,
to move into second on Franklin Pierce's career hit list past
assistant coach Scott Loiseau (246 hits) just one behind former
teammate Elliot Shea's record of 248 set last
season.
Sophomore Bill Melillo
(Glenwood Landings, N.Y./North Shore) drove in both
Adelphi runs, hitting 1-for-4. Junior Rob DeGennaro
(Hicksville, N.Y.) was 1-4 with a stolen base and run
scored, while sophomore Mike Colonna (Staten Island,
N.Y./Moore Catholic) batted 1-3 and scored.
Freshman Mike Scudero
(Massapequa, N.Y./Massapequa) suffered the loss (4-3),
allowing four earned runs on six hits with six strikeouts and three
walks over five innings.
Franklin Pierce fell behind for the
third time in the regional as Adelphi scored a run in the first
without hitting the ball out of the infield. DeGennaro led off with
a single, stole second and scored on a two out infield single by
Melillo.
Franklin Pierce knotted the score
in the fourth when Anderson singled up the middle with two out,
followed by Christman's triple to the gap in right center. The
Ravens took the lead for good with three in the fourth, loading the
bases with none out before Renaud cleared them with a double down
the line in left.
Franklin Pierce added single run in
the sixth with an RBI single from Pennell. Adelphi got that run
back in the home half to close within 5-2 when Colanna singled up
the middle with one out and scored on a Melillo ground out. The
Ravens scored single runs in the seventh and eighth to regain the
five run cushion. Anderson drove in a run with a sacrifice fly in
the seventh, before Renaud followed with the same in the eighth.
Boxscore
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