Kauffman goes 2-for-3 with two-run home run in final career game

Box Score

CARY, N.C. (May 27, 2010) – Senior second baseman Cody Kauffman (Blue Bell, Pa.) went 2-for-3 with a two-run home run and a double on Thursday night, but the No. 13/24 nationally ranked and East Region champion Franklin Pierce University baseball team fell, 6-3, to No. 1/1 and West Region champion California, San Diego in the semifinal round of the NCAA Championship National Finals, hosted by Mount Olive at the USA Baseball National Training Complex.

With the loss, Franklin Pierce is eliminated and concludes its season at 43-17-1. The 61 games played set a new program record. With the victory, California, San Diego improves to 54-7 and advances to Saturday's national championship game.

California, San Diego opened the scoring with a pair of runs in the bottom of the second inning. Senior shortstop Vance Albitz and junior right fielder Kyle Saul opened the inning with a walk and a bunt single, respectively, to put the Ravens in trouble from the get-go. After a groundout moved the runners to second and third, junior third baseman Evan Kehoe brought them both home with a two-run single to right.

Franklin Pierce would answer with three runs in the top of the second inning to jump to a 3-2 lead. With one out, junior left fielder Mike Munoz (Bronx, N.Y.) worked a walk and came around to score on a double into left-center by junior designated hitter Eric Pearson (Webster, N.H.). Pearson would later score when senior second baseman Cody Kauffman (Blue Bell, Pa.) clubbed a two-out, two-run home run over the wall in left field, his third of the season, to give the Ravens the lead.

From there, the game remained scoreless until the bottom of the sixth inning, when California, San Diego struck for three runs and a 5-3 lead. Junior left fielder Aaron Bauman and senior first baseman Brandon Gregorich led off the inning with back-to-back singles and Bauman came in to score on a double into the gap in right-center by Kehoe, who drove in his third run of the game. Later in the inning, Gregorich would score on a wild pitch and Kehoe would eventually score on a sacrifice fly to center field by junior catcher Kellen Lee.

The Tritons added an insurance run in the bottom of the eighth inning to create the 6-3 final on a safety squeeze bunt by junior second baseman Grant Bauer to drive home Lee, who had tripled to lead off the inning.

Senior right-hander Heath Wasylow (Rehoboth, Mass.) started on the mound and took the loss (3-4) for Franklin Pierce. Over five-plus innings, he allowed five runs on 10 hits and walked two.

Senior right-hander Kirby St. John started and did not factor in the decision on the hill for California, San Diego. Over 4.1 innings, he allowed three runs on four hits, walked two and struck out two. Junior right-hander Guido Knudson threw shutout ball over the final 4.2 innings, allowed one hit and struck out four to pick up the win (10-3) out of the bullpen for the Tritons.