Al Medeiros smacked his first career homerun in FPC's comeback win over Southern Connecticut

FP
Gains Key Sweep Over Southern Conn.
Shank matches single-season win mark in game one Medeiros’ first career homer wins nightcap

RINDGE, N.H. (April 26, 2002) - Franklin Pierce University
posted a key doubleheader sweep of Southern Connecticut State University to move into a tie for third place in the Northeast-10 Conference’s Markey Division in baseball action at Crystal Field this afternoon.

FP
claimed a 5-3 decision in game one before posting a 4-3 comeback win in the nightcap. In game one, junior right-hander Chris Shank (Westminster, Mass./Oakmont Regional) matched his own single-season win mark as he earned his seventh victory of the season. Teammate Jon White (Medford, Mass./Arlington Catholic) matched the mark earlier this week as well. Shank (7-1) allowed three earned runs on six hits with eight strikeouts and a walk in the seven-inning complete-game effort.

Junior Chris Shank matched his own single-season win mark as he earned his seventh victory of the season

Sophomore Dante Blancarte (Amesbury, Mass./Amesbury) led the Ravens offense, as he was a perfect three-for-three at the plate with a double, a homerun and two RBIs. Junior Mike Callahan (Worcester, Mass./St. Peter Marian) and freshman Eric Cavers (Otisfield, Mass./Oxford Hills) each added a hit and an RBI.

Southern Connecticut senior Bill Doyle suffered the loss (6-3), as he was touched for five runs, four earned, on seven hits with seven strikeouts and a walk in the complete game.

Senior Ryan Cimino was the lone Owl with multiple hits as he finished 2-3 with a double and a run scored. Classmate Robert Horn provided all the SCSU offense in the game with a three-run homer in the sixth.

FP
jumped ahead with two runs in the first with Callahan getting an RBI single off the leg of Doyle, while Cavers added a sacrifice fly.

Blancarte’s homer in the third inning gave FP
a 3-0 cushion and his RBI double in the fifth put the Ravens ahead 4-0.

Dante Blancarte was a perfect three-for-three at the plate with a double, a homerun and two RBIs in FPC's first game vs. the Owls

Horn’s three-run blast in the sixth closed the gap to 4-3, but FP
answered with an insurance run in the bottom half of the frame as freshman Bear Dunn (Charlton, Mass./Shepherd Hill) scored thanks to an Owls error.

Shank came on and shut the door with a double play after a leadoff single and got the final batter swinging to end the game.

In the nightcap, junior catcher Al Medeiros’ (New Bedford, Mass./New Bedford) first career homerun in the bottom of the seventh inning capped an FP
comeback win.

Medeiros took the first pitch from Southern starter Brian Forgione and deposited it over the leftfield fence for the walk-off win.

Sophomore Matt Weagle picked up his second straight win today with a victory over Southern Connecticut

FP
sophomore Matt Weagle (Charlton, Mass./Shepherd Hill) picked up his second straight win (2-5) as he settled down after allowing two first-inning runs to allow just three earned runs on ten hits with eight strikeouts and three walks in the seven-inning complete game effort.

Cavers was 2-2 in game two, while junior Paul McAuliffe (Foxboro, Mass./Foxboro) finished 2-3 with a double, a homerun and an RBI.

Senior Justin Walker led the Southern offense, as he was 3-4 with two RBIs. Junior Orlando Lugo hit 2-3.

Forgione suffered the loss (5-3) as he allowed four earned runs on seven hits with four strikeouts and three walks in six-plus innings of work.

Southern Connecticut took a 2-0 lead in the first as senior Marc Potocsky scored on a balk and Walker laced an RBI single.

FP
chipped into the lead in the fourth as Callahan doubled and later scored on a Dunn sacrifice fly to cut the lead to 2-1.

The Owls answered with a single run in the fifth as Walker singled through the left side for an RBI, but Weagle fanned the next two batters to work out of a bases-loaded jam.

McAuliffe homered to right in the bottom half of the frame to close the gap to 3-2 and Blancarte belted his second homer of the day on Forgione’s first pitch of the sixth to knot the score and set the tables for Medeiros’ walk-off shot in the seventh.

FP
(22-15, 15-9 NE-10) and Southern Connecticut (27-12, 15-9 NE-10) wrap up their four-game weekend series with a doubleheader tomorrow afternoon in New Haven, Conn., at noon.