Sophomore Matt Weagle allowed just one earned run on eight hits and struck out seven batters to earn his first win of the season.

FP
Splits Twinbill With Saint Rose
Ravens forfeit game one
Weagle earns first win of the season in nightcap

RINDGE, N.H. (April 21, 2002) - Franklin Pierce University
saw a chance to sweep a crucial four-game set with the College of Saint Rose go by the wayside as it split a controversial doubleheader in Northeast-10 Conference baseball action at Crystal Field this afternoon. Saint Rose claimed a 9-0 win in game one by forfeit, while FP
posted a 9-4 decision in the nightcap.

Franklin Pierce forfeited game one as the umpiring crew determined that its coaching staff was coaching the team after they were ejected from the game in the eighth inning. The result came with the game tied at 4-4 and the winning run on second base in the bottom of the ninth inning. According to NCAA rules, Saint Rose earns a 9-0 win and statistics from the contest count.

Sophomore Dante Blancarte (Amesbury, Mass./Amesbury) was one-for-four with an RBI, while senior Eric Burney (Ridgefield, Conn./Ridgefield) hit 2-3 for FPC.

Senior Eric Burney hit 2-4 with two RBIs in FPC's 9-4 win over Saint Rose

Junior right-hander Chris Shank (Westminster, Mass./Oakmont Regional) saw his bid for a school-record tying seventh win of the season go by the wayside as he receives a no-decision based on NCAA rules. Shank (6-1) allowed four runs, three earned, on eight hits with five strikeouts and two walks in nine innings of work.

Junior Erik Hoover hit 3-4 with a double for Saint Rose, while freshman Jean-Francois DuFour was 2-5 with a run scored and a stolen base.

In the nightcap, sophomore right-hander Matt Weagle (Charlton, Mass./Shepherd Hill) ended a string of six-straight losing decisions dating back to last season as he earned his first win (1-5) of the spring. Weagle allowed four runs, just one earned, scattering eight hits with seven strikeouts and a walk in the complete-game effort.

Junior Mike Callahan (Worcester, Mass./St. Peter Marian) sparked the offense, as he was 1-1 with a homerun, two runs scored and three RBIs. Burney was 2-4 with two RBIs, while junior Dan Close (Leominster, Mass./Leominster) hit 2-4 with three runs scored, a homerun, a stolen base and an RBI.

Hoover had another strong game for Saint Rose as he hit 2-2 with a double, while DuFour was 2-4 with two runs scored, a double and a steal. Junior Jose Segura finished 2-4 with a run scored to go along with a leadoff homer in the first game.

Gregg Kelly suffered the loss (5-4) as he was touched for nine runs, only four earned, on seven hits with four strikeouts and four walks in the complete game effort.

Saint Rose jumped ahead with two unearned runs in the fourth inning. Segura led off the inning with a single, followed by another safety from junior Chris Burdo. The two scored as DuFour reached on an FP
fielding error.

Franklin Pierce took the lead for good in the bottom half of the frame with five unearned runs of its own. Kelly retired the first two batters for the Golden Knights, then Close reached on a fielding error, followed by two-straight walks to load the bags. Freshman Eric Cavers (Otisfield, Maine/Oxford Hills) and Burney each followed with two-run singles to spark the rally.

The Ravens lead grew to 8-2 in the fifth inning as Close belted a solo homer and Callahan added a two-run blast two hitters later.

Teams	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Saint Rose	0	0	0	2	0	1	0	1	0	4	8	4
FPC	0	0	0	5	3	0	1	0	x	9	7	3

Battery
CSR: Gregg Kelly and Chris Burdo.
FPC: Matt Weagle and Eric Cavers.

WP: Weagle (1-5)
LP: Kelly (5-4)

FP
(19-14, 12-8 NE-10) returns to the diamond on Tuesday when it hosts Assumption College at 3:30 p.m. Saint Rose (24-16, 13-7 NE-10) hosts Southern Connecticut State University for a key Conference twinbill on Tuesday beginning at 2 p.m.