Dowd goes 4-for-5, drives in four, scores four in first game

Game One Box Score
Game Two Box Score

RINDGE, N.H. (April 5, 2010) – Sophomore catcher Mike Dowd (East Bridgewater, Mass.) hit 4-for-5 with two home runs and a double, drove home four runs and scored four times on Monday evening to lead the No. 19 nationally ranked Franklin Pierce University baseball team to a 14-4 victory in the first game of a Northeast-10 Conference doubleheader at Dr. Arthur and Martha Pappas Field. However, the bats went quiet in the second game, as New Haven won the nightcap, 1-0.

With the split, Franklin Pierce is now 18-10 (6-4 Northeast-10), while New Haven moves to 18-7 (7-5 Northeast-10).

Franklin Pierce opened the scoring in the bottom of the first, when it sent 15 batters to the plate and pounded out 10 runs on nine hits to break the game open immediately and take a 10-0 lead. Dowd fired the game's first salvo with a two-run home run, his third of the season, to left-center field as the second batter of the game. Junior third baseman Derek Ingui (Sterling, Mass.) followed and turned on the next pitch to send his third home run of the season over the left-field fence. Also in the inning, freshman shortstop Dan Kemp (Sturbridge, Mass.) clubbed a two-run double over the head of the center fielder and both sophomore designated hitter Tim Quinn (Paxton, Mass.) and Dowd had RBI singles in the inning.

The Ravens tacked on two more in the bottom of the third on a pair of solo home runs to push the lead to 12-0. Dowd clubbed his second of the game to left-center field and two batters later, junior left fielder Mike Munoz (Bronx, N.Y.) hit his second home run of the season to left-center as well.

New Haven picked up a single run in each the top of the fourth and the top of the fifth to cut the lead to 12-2. In the fourth, freshman designated hitter Taylor Candage hit an RBI double to left and in the fifth, sophomore second baseman Ryan Brockett reached on a fielder's choice and eventually scored on a wild pitch.

Franklin Pierce bumped the lead back to 14-2 in the bottom of the fifth on an RBI double by sophomore third baseman Dan Poirier (Lunenburg, Mass.) and an RBI single by Munoz.

New Haven made it 14-3 with a run in the top of the sixth on an RBI single by Candage. The Chargers added another in the top of the eighth on an RBI double by sophomore pinch hitter Jordan Kershaw to make it 14-4.

Junior right-hander Jose Macias (Bronx, N.Y.) started on the mound and picked up the win (4-0) in the first game for Franklin Pierce. Over six innings, he allowed three runs (one earned) on four hits, walked one, threw a wild pitch and struck out seven.

Senior right-hander Chris Smith toed the rubber and took the loss (3-2) for New Haven. He lasted just two-thirds of an innings, surrendered 10 runs (six earned) on nine hits, walked one, threw a wild pitch and struck out one.

In the second game, New Haven opened the scoring with a run in the top of the first inning. Junior third baseman Tom Rombilus led off with a ground-rule double down the left-field line and freshman catcher Shane O'Connell followed with an RBI double inside the bag at third and down the left-field line. The damage was limited however, as Franklin Pierce freshman right-hander Joe Flynn (Plymouth, Mass.) later struck out New Haven senior second baseman Kyle Donnelly with the bases loaded to end the inning.

That turned out to be the only run of the ballgame, as New Haven went on to win 1-0. The Franklin Pierce offense picked up just six hits in the second game, after piling up 19 in the front end of the doubleheader. Including the first inning, Franklin Pierce pitching worked out of bases loaded jams four times in the ballgame, including three straight strikeouts by junior right-hander Rob Nicholas (Southborough, Mass.) with the bases full in the top of the ninth inning. After pitching the first game, Macias played second base in the second game and went 3-for-3, while the rest of the Ravens went 3-for-27.

Flynn took the loss (2-2) on the hill for Franklin Pierce in the second game. Over 4.1 innings, he allowed one run on five hits, walked two and struck out four. Sophomore right-hander T.J. Ferguson (Westmoreland, N.H.), freshman right-hander Rob Blanc (Sandy Hook, Conn.) and Nicholas combined to not allow a run over the final 4.2 innings, while surrendering six hits, walking two, hitting two batters and striking out nine.

Senior right-hander T.J. Phelan took the ball and picked up the win (2-1) for New Haven in the second game. In seven innings of shutout ball, he allowed five hits, walked one, hit a batter, threw a wild pitch and struck out five. Junior right-hander Mitch Rossi did not allow a run on one hit and struck out four over the final two innings to record his seventh save of the season.

The Ravens return to the field on Tuesday, April 6, when they remain home to host Merrimack in a Northeast-10 Conference contest. First pitch is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. at Dr. Arthur and Martha Pappas Field.