McGowan goes seven strong

RINDGE, N.H. (April 15, 2012) – Junior shortstop Dan Kemp (Sturbridge, Mass.) hit two home runs as part of a 4-for-5 outing on Sunday afternoon to lead the No. 29 nationally ranked Franklin Pierce University baseball team to a 9-2 win over Bentley in Northeast-10 Conference Northeast Division play at Dr. Arthur and Martha Pappas Field. Sophomore first baseman Zach Mathieu (Derry, N.H.) also hit a homer in the game for Franklin Pierce.

With the win, Franklin Pierce improves to 23-12-1 (10-4-1 Northeast-10, 5-3-1 Northeast Division), while Bentley falls to 18-18 (10-7 Northeast-10, 3-6 Northeast Division). Combined with yesterday's split, Franklin Pierce took two of the three games in the weekend series.

The Ravens opened the scoring with a pair of runs in the bottom of the first inning. Senior second baseman Dan Hennigan (Downingtown, Pa.) opened the frame by bouncing a single back up the middle. Kemp followed and hammered his fourth home run of the season to left field to stake Franklin Pierce to a 2-0 lead.

Bentley answered with a run in the top of the second to cut the lead to 2-1. Leading off the inning, junior first baseman Lamarre Rey torched his second home run of the season, and second in as many days, into the bleachers down the left-field line.

Franklin Pierce picked up two runs in the top of the third with another home run to extend the lead to 4-1. With one out, graduate student center fielder James Roche (Arlington, Mass.) worked a walk. Mathieu was next and crushed a ball over the scoreboard, just to the right of straightaway center field, to tie for the team lead with his ninth home run of the campaign.

The Ravens plated another pair of runs in the bottom of the fourth to extend the lead to 6-1. With one out, freshman third baseman R.J. Going (Bay Shore, N.Y.) knocked a single back up the middle and moved to second on a single through the right side by sophomore left fielder Calvin Graves (Boston, Mass.). After a wild pitch moved both runners into scoring position, Hennigan brought them both home with a two-run single back up the middle and into center field.

Another run in the bottom of the fifth pushed the lead to 7-1. Mathieu led off the inning by pulling a single inside the bag at third base and moved around to third on a double dropped into left field by junior right fielder Nick LaCroix (Grafton, Mass.). Two batters later, junior second baseman Anthony Peguero (Hyde Park, Mass.) lifted a sacrifice fly into center field to drive home Mathieu.

Franklin Pierce added two more in the eighth and Bentley picked up one in the ninth to create the 9-2 final. In the eighth, the Ravens picked up a run on a sacrifice fly by Hennigan and another on a solo home run, Kemp's second of the ballgame, again to left field. In the ninth, junior second baseman Logan Gillis hit an RBI single for Bentley.

Sophomore right-hander Kevin McGowan (Nashua, N.H.) started on the mound and picked up the win (3-1) for Franklin Pierce. Over seven innings, he allowed one run on nine hits, walked one (intentionally) and struck out three.

Junior right-hander Jeff Croteau took the ball and the loss (4-2) on the hill for Bentley. Over seven innings of work, he was touched for seven runs on 14 hits, walked one, threw a wild pitch and struck out three.

The Ravens return to the field on Tuesday, April 17, when they remain home to host Southern New Hampshire in a Northeast-10 Conference Northeast Division Contest. First pitch is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. at Pappas Field.

For more information on Franklin Pierce Athletics, please visit the official website of Franklin Pierce Athletics (http://athletics.franklinpierce.edu). Also be sure to follow the Ravens through the Department of Athletics' official Facebook page (http://www.facebook.com/FranklinPierceRavens), its YouTube channel (http://www.youtube.com/franklinpiercesports) and its Twitter feed (http://twitter.com/FPUathletics).