Ingui goes 3-for-5, drives in two, scores three in second game

Game One Box Score
Game Two Box Score

ALBANY, N.Y. (March 27, 2010) – Junior third baseman Derek Ingui (Sterling, Mass.) hit 3-for-5 with a two-run double and scored three times in the second game of a doubleheader on Saturday afternoon as the No. 16/27 nationally ranked Franklin Pierce University baseball team picked up a 9-7 victory to earn a split against Saint Rose in Northeast-10 Conference play at Bob Bellizzi Field at the Plumeri Sports Complex. Earlier in the day, the Ravens lost the first game of the twinbill, 6-5.

With the split, Franklin Pierce is now 13-7 (3-1 Northeast-10), while Saint Rose moves to 7-17 (2-6 Northeast-10.

In the first game of the day, Saint Rose jumped out to a 3-0 lead with three runs in the bottom of the second inning. Junior first baseman Grant Smith led off, was hit by a pitch and moved to second when senior designated hitter Paul Partridge pushed a single into right field. Smith would then score as sophomore left fielder Nick Alexandrovich brought home the first run of the game with a single down the right-field line. After a sacrifice bunt by sophomore center fielder Jesse Burba moved the runners to second and third, junior third baseman Ryan Burke drove in a run with a groundball on the left side, but reached first himself on an error. Sophomore second baseman Michael Carbone then capped the scoring in the inning with an RBI groundout.

Franklin Pierce immediately answered with three of its own in the top of the third. Senior right fielder Phil Hendricks (Pittsfield, Maine) led off with a walk and moved to second when the Saint Rose pitcher threw away a pickoff attempt. Three batters later, the Ravens started a two-out rally as junior third baseman Derek Ingui (Sterling, Mass.) yanked an RBI single into left and wound up on second as the left fielder had trouble corralling the ball. Sophomore catcher Mike Dowd (East Bridgewater, Mass.) followed and traded places with Ingui by knocking a run-scoring double to left field. Junior left fielder Mike Munoz (Bronx, N.Y.) then dropped down a bunt single and Dowd would score an unearned run on the play, thanks to the second throwing error of the inning by Saint Rose senior left-hander Jake Kozar.

Saint Rose would immediately reclaim the lead with a run in the bottom half of the third. Senior shortstop Zachary Halloran led off, yanked a double down the left-field line, moved to third on a sacrifice bunt and scored on an RBI infield single by Partridge.

Franklin Pierce briefly took a 5-4 lead with two runs in the top of the fourth inning. Freshman center fielder Nick LaCroix (Grafton, Mass.) led off with a double down the left-field line. After Hendricks was hit by a pitch, freshman shortstop Dan Kemp (Sturbridge, Mass.) dropped down a sacrifice bunt to move the runners to second and third. Senior second baseman Cody Kauffman (Blue Bell, Pa.) followed with an RBI single to center field and wound up on second as Saint Rose brought the throw to the plate to keep Hendricks from scoring. Ingui then brought home Hendricks with an RBI single of his own to right field, but Kauffman was cut down at the plate trying to score on a relay throw by Smith, the Saint Rose second baseman.

Saint Rose would later claim the lead for good at 6-5 with a pair of runs in the bottom of the fifth. Halloran led off with a walk and went to second on a single to right by senior catcher Derek Marshall, which chased the Franklin Pierce starter, junior left-hander Brian Maloney (Brockton, Mass.), from the game in favor of freshman right-hander Rob Blanc (Sandy Hook, Conn.). Two batters after a Smith sacrifice pushed the runners to second and third, Alexandrovich brought home Halloran to tie the game with an RBI infield single to third base. Marshall would later score on a single to right by Burba, while Alexandrovich was cut down at the plate trying to score to end the inning.

From there, both offenses dried up, as the game would finish with the 6-5 score. Though it trailed by only one, Franklin Pierce would not put another man on base the remainder of the game, as Saint Rose junior left-hander David Batchelder, who had come on to start the fifth, retired the final 14 batters he faced on the afternoon.

Maloney started on the mound and took the loss (0-2) for Franklin Pierce. Over just four innings, he allowed six runs (five earned) on six hits, walked two, hit a batter and struck out four.

Kozar started on the hill for Saint Rose, but did not factor in the decision. Over four innings, he surrendered five runs (four earned) on seven hits, walked one, hit a batter, threw a wild pitch and struck out four. Batchelder picked up the win (2-2) out of the bullpen for the Golden Knights. Over five hitless, shutout innings, he walked one and struck out five.

The second game of the day turned into a slugfest, as the two teams combined for 16 runs on 22 hits. The game also featured extra base runners all over the place, as the teams combined for six errors, 12 walks and a hit batsman.

Saint Rose fired the opening salvo in the bottom of the first inning, as Carbone was hit by a pitch, moved to second on a sacrifice bunt, took third two batters later on a wild pitch and eventually scored from third while a runner on first was caught in a rundown between first and second.

Franklin Pierce answered with a run of its own in the top of the third. Ingui led off with a single down the right-field line, stole second and came around to score while Dowd reached on an error.

Saint Rose then struck for a 3-1 lead with a pair of runs in the bottom half of the inning. With one out, Burke worked a walk and scored all the way from first on an RBI double into the gap in left-center by Carbone, who took third as the throw came to the plate in an attempt to put out Burke. Carbone would score when junior right fielder Garret Keenan punched a single through the left side.

Franklin Pierce closed to within a run at 3-2 with a run in the top of the fourth. With one out, Kemp worked a walk, stole second, moved to third as Ingui reached on an error and scored as Dowd pulled an RBI single into left field.

The two teams then traded three runs apiece in the sixth inning to leave Saint Rose with a 6-5 lead. In the top half of the inning, Franklin Pierce sophomore Tim Quinn (Paxton, Mass.) drove home a run with a sacrifice fly, LaCroix picked up an RBI single and Munoz scored on a wild pitch after walking earlier in the inning. In the home half of the sixth, Burke had the big blow with a two-run single back through the middle, while Alexandrovich pumped an RBI double into right-center.

Franklin Pierce stormed to a 9-6 lead with four runs in the top of the seventh and never looked back. Kemp led off the inning with an infield single and moved all the way to third as Kauffman laid down a sacrifice bunt but wound up on second thanks to an error. Ingui then brought both runners home with a two-run double to left-center that gave the Ravens the lead for good. After a Munoz single, Quinn hit his second sacrifice fly of the game to score Ingui from third. Munoz eventually stole second, took third on a wild pitch and scored on a triple to center field by Hendricks.

Saint Rose would pick up a run on an RBI single by senior catcher John Cole to pull within two at 9-7, but Franklin Pierce junior right-hander Rob Nicholas (Southborough, Mass.) retired the final seven batters he faced after Cole to finish off the game.

Freshman right-hander Joe Flynn (Plymouth, Mass.) started on the mound, pitched 5.2 innings and did not factor in the decision for Franklin Pierce. He allowed six runs (five earned) on seven hits, walked three, hit a batter, threw a wild pitch and struck out two. Nicholas tossed the final 3.1 and picked up the win (2-0) for the Ravens, as he allowed just one unearned run on two hits, walked one and struck out four.

Junior right-hander Doug Dulin started on the rubber and did not factor in the decision for Saint Rose. Over five innings, he surrendered two unearned runs on five hits, walked five and struck out four. Freshman right-hander Jordan Zareski took the loss (0-1) out of the bullpen for the Golden Knights. He faced three batters in the seventh inning, retired none of them and was tagged for three runs (one earned) on two hits.

The Ravens return to the field on Sunday, March 28, when they return home to host Bentley in a Northeast-10 Conference contest. First pitch is scheduled for 1 p.m. at Dr. Arthur and Martha Pappas Field in Rindge, N.H.