Northern Colorado Out Duels FPC, 6-2
Michael closes out game with eight shutout innings in complete game win

Junior Dan Close belted a two-run homer in today's matchup

PHOENIX, Ariz. (March 20, 2002) - University of Northern Colorado senior righthander Toby Michael earned the complete game victory to lead the Bears to a 6-2 win over Franklin Pierce University
in non-conference baseball action at Brazell Stadium on the campus of Grand Canyon University this afternoon.

Michael (2-1) went the distance and allowed just two earned runs on seven hits with seven strikeouts and no walks. Both runs came in the top of the first inning as he settled in and fired eight shutout innings the rest of the way.

Freshman second baseman Justin Tate batted three-for-four with three RBIs to pace UNC, while classmate Keith Covill also hit 3-4 with a double.

FP
freshman A.J. Hatton (Hudson, Mass./Hudson) suffered the loss (0-1) as he was hampered by a slow start, allowing five runs in the first two innings. Hatton allowed six runs, five earned, on 12 hits with three strikeouts and two walks in the eight inning complete game.

Junior rightfielder Dan Close (Leominster, Mass./Leominster) had the big blow for the Ravens as he belted a two-run homer in the first to account for all of the Ravens scoring for the afternoon. He finished 2-3 on the afternoon. Freshman catcher Eric Cavers (Otisfield, Maine/Oxford Hills) had a hit, scored a run and stole two bases, while junior centerfielder Paul McAuliffe (Foxboro, Mass./Foxboro) added a double.

After Close's bomb gave a the Ravens a 2-0 lead in the top of the first, Northern Colorado answered with three runs in the bottom of the frame. Tate drove in Mike Carrasco, who led off the inning with a double. Noah Mason was later ruled to have crossed home plate before the Ravens were able to catch Ryan Symons in a run-down during a pickoff.

UNC took the lead for good in the second with three runs as Tate added a two-run single and Pat Wiley added an RBI single. Freshman Rob Scanlan added insurance in the eighth with a solo homer.

FP
(3-4) returns to action tomorrow afternoon as it wraps up its three-game series with Northern Colorado (7-11) at 3 p.m.

Teams	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
FPC	2	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	2	7	2
UNC	2	3	0	0	0	0	0	1	X	6	12	0

Batteries
FPC: A.J. Hatton and Eric Cavers.
UNC: Toby Michael and Patrick Wiley

WP: Michael (1-2)
LP: Hatton (0-1))
HR: Close (1), Scanlon (2)