Top-seeded Ravens defeat fifth-seeded Bryant, 5-2, for third
Northeast Regional title in five years
RINDGE, N.H. (May 20, 2007)
- Top-seeded Franklin Pierce, ranked 11th in
this week's Collegiate Baseball magazine poll, clinched
its second-straight berth in the NCAA Division II Baseball
Championships in Montgomery, Ala., with a 5-2 victory over
fifth-seeded Bryant University to cap the 2007 NCAA Division II
Northeast Regional at Dr. Arthur & Martha Pappas Field this
afternoon.
Franklin Pierce (49-9) will face
South Central region champions Angelo State University Saturday at
Riverwalk Stadium at 2 p.m. (EDT). The Rams defeated 2006 World
Series participant Montevallo twice to reach the Montgomery. The
championships have been bumped up a day from past years, meaning
the Ravens will again open on day two of the event. Bryant sees its
season come to a close with a 34-24 record overall, 21-9 in the
Northeast-10, after posting an 18-33 overall mark in 2006.
"Last year we were just happy to be
down there," said senior captain Vinny Pennell (Spencer,
Mass./David Prouty). "This time we have a lot of guys
going back so we know what we need to do to win it."
Franklin Pierce junior leftfielder
Kevin Renaud (Southbridge, Mass./Southbridge) was
named the Most Outstanding Player of the Northeast Regional,
hitting .500 (8-for-16) with five runs scored, four doubles, three
home runs, a stolen base and nine RBI as the Ravens went a perfect
4-0 through the tournament. His NE-10 leading 65 RBI this season is
a new single-season record at the College, breaking assistant coach
Bryan Duplissie's previous mark of 62 in 2006.
Renaud also collected MVP honors of
the Northeast-10 Tournament last weekend and has hit safely in
13-straight games, posting a .455 (25-for-55) batting average with
16 runs scored, nine doubles, a triple, five homers and 19 RBI in
this stretch.
"I'm seeing the ball real well and
not guessing right now," said Renaud. "I'm seeing the ball and
hitting the ball. With the wind blowing out to right, I just tried
to stay with the
pitches."
Joining Renaud on the regional
All-Tournament team for the Ravens were senior second baseman
Jake Christman (Newton, Mass./Newton South), who
hit .385 (5-for-13) with two runs scored, a double, triple, two
steals and two RBI, but perhaps more importantly was flawless in
the field, playing error-free in 21 chances. Sophomore third
baseman Scott Savastano (Plymouth, Mass./Plymouth
North) was also named to the All-Tournament team for the
second-straight year, hitting .313 (5-for-16) with three runs
scored, a double, triple and four RBI.
Junior right-hander Keith
Renaud (Southbridge, Mass./Southbridge) earned an
All-Tournament team spot after picking up his sixth win (6-2) of
the season with seven shutout innings, scattering a pair of hits
and three walks with ten strikeouts. Renaud held Bryant without a
hit until All-Tournament team selection Mike Rocco
(Tewksbury, Mass./Tewksbury) broke the string with a
single to center with two out in the fourth.
"We got good starting pitching all
weekend and I think Keith saved his best for last" said Franklin
Pierce head coach Jayson King. "He came out and
dominated for seven innings. When he has his fastball and slider
going like he did today, he's
unhittable."
Twin brother Kevin Renaud embossed
his MOP status by hitting 3-for-5 this afternoon with a pair of
home runs, a stolen base and two RBI. Savastano was 2-4 with a home
run, while freshman Kevin Rivers (Bristol, Conn./Bristol
Eastern) finished 1-2 with a pair of walks.
Senior Vinny Pennell
(Spencer, Mass./David Prouty) notched an RBI double in the
fifth for his 248th career hit - matching the program's
career record set by former teammate Elliot Shea in last year's
regional title game. Pennell also added a stolen base to pull
within one of Shea's single-season record of 28 set in 2006.
"I was hoping to (get the record)
today on our home field," said Pennell. "Hopefully I'll get a hit
at the World Series."
All-Tournament selection
Nick Campbell (Raynham, Mass./Bridgewater-Raynham)
led Bryant as he hit 1-for-3 with a double and two RBI. Freshman
Taylor Ferguson (Charlton, Mass./St. Johns) was
1-2 with a pair of walks, a stolen base and run scored, while
junior Jason Alexander (Simsbury, Conn./Simsbury)
finished 1-3 with a double and run scored.
Junior right-hander Luke
Cowan (Atlanta, Ga./Wilton) took the loss for the
Bulldogs, allowing four earned runs on six hits with four
strikeouts and two walks in five
innings.
Cowan retired the first two batters
of the game, but for the first time in four regional contests,
Franklin Pierce opened the scoring as Kevin Renaud ripped Cowan's
first offering over the fence in left center. Savastano followed by
depositing an 0-2 offering to nearly the same spot for his first
homer of the season.
"After we made those first two outs,
I thought 'Ok we're going to be in for a dogfight today'",
said King. "Then those two guys hit those home runs, I think it
changed how I was feeling and how the guys in the dugout felt.
Those were big strokes right there to get us going in the right
direction."
While Keith Renaud was cruising on
the mound, the Ravens added another pair in the fifth as senior
Kim Hart (Gorham, Maine/Gorham) drew a lead off
walk, was sacrificed to second, and scored on Pennell's double to
right center. Kevin Renaud singled to push Pennell over to third
and the duo executed an intentional run-down/double steal to allow
Pennell to score the Ravens fourth run.
Franklin Pierce opened a 5-0 lead on
Kevin Renaud's tenth home run of the year to leadoff the eighth.
Bryant made a run in the home half as Ferguson led off with a walk
and reached second on Alexander's double down the leftfield line.
Campbell followed with a double to right center, but was thrown out
trying to stretch it into a triple.
"I think one of the biggest plays of
the game was (Campbell) getting thrown out at third base," said
King. "It was a big play because they would have had a guy at
second base with none out, instead we had none on and one out. When
he got thrown out, I knew we would be alright."
Junior Tyler Bishop
(Milford, N.H./Milford), who entered the game just prior
to Campbell's double, settled down from there to retire the last
five batters to clinch the victory and punch the Ravens ticket to
Montgomery, Ala.
"I can't say enough about our whole
team really fighting it out this year and really having as good a
year as you can possibly have," said King. "Hopefully we'll
continue to play well in Alabama."
2007 NCAA Division II
Northeast Regional
All-Tournament Team
P: Brent Almeida,
Bryant
P: Keith Renaud, Franklin
Pierce
DH: Jerod Edmondson, UMass Lowell
C: Chris Chiarappa, Caldwell
1B: Mike Rocco, Bryant
2B: Jake Christman, Franklin
Pierce
SS: Mike Colonna, Adelphi
3B: Scott Savastano, Franklin
Pierce
OF: Nick Campbell, Bryant
Mike Testani, Adelphi
Most Outstanding
Player: Kevin Renaud (OF), Franklin
Pierce
Boxscore
& Play-by-Play
