Franklin Pierce Sweeps 
American International
Ravens end seven-game slide behind 
two solid pitching performances

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (March 27, 2004) – The Franklin Pierce baseball team, ranked ninth in this week’s National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) Division II Northeast Region poll, put an end to a seven-game slide by sweeping a Northeast-10 Conference doubleheader at American International College this afternoon. The Ravens took game one, 7-0, before posting a 9-1 decision in the nightcap.

            Franklin Pierce rode the standout pitching of juniors Bryan Borowski (Clarksburg, Mass./Drury) and Keith Brouillard (Westport, Mass./Somerset) for the victories.

            Borowski fired a three hit shutout in game one, walking four and striking out a career-best 13 over nine innings. Sophomores Elliott Shea (Jaffrey, N.H./Conant) and Mike Chambers (Londonderry, N.H./Londonderry) paced the Ravens offense. Shea was 2-for-3 with a pair of doubles and runs scored, while Chambers finished 2-4 with a stolen base, two runs scored and two RBI. Senior Dante Blancarte (South Berwick, Maine/Amesbury (Mass.)) and sophomore Mike Feetham (Quincy, Mass./North Quincy) were each 2-4 with a run scored and RBI, while Blancarte also belted a double.

            Junior Paul Thompson (Lunenburg, Mass.) suffered the loss for American International as he went the distance and yielded seven earned runs on 11 hits and two walks with three strikeouts.

            Leading 1-0 after three innings, Franklin Pierce broke the game open with three runs in the fourth and fifth innings. Chambers opened the scoring in the fourth when he scored on a wild pitch, then sophomore Randy Fenton (Worcester, Mass./Doherty) and freshman Vinny Pennell (Spencer, Mass./David Prouty) each registered RBI singles. Chambers drove in a pair in the fifth with a two-run single, and then scored on a Feetham safety after stealing second.
 

Teams	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
AIC	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	3	2
FP	1	0	0	3	3	0	0	0	x	7	11	0

BOX SCORE & PLAY-BY-PLAY

Batteries:
AIC – Paul Thompson and Chris Cali.
FP – Bryan Borowski and Eric Cavers.  

WP: Borowski (2-2)
LP: Thompson (0-3)  

            In the nightcap, Brouillard held the Yellow Jackets hitless until the seventh and scoreless until they scored a single run in the ninth to improve to 2-0 on the season. Brouillard allowed just the unearned run on three hits with no walks and a career-best ten strikeouts in the complete-game effort.

            Chambers paced the offense, as he was 2-3 with a pair of doubles, a run scored and two RBI. Pennell was 3-4 with a double and RBI, while freshman Garrett Olson (Norway, Maine/Oxford Hills) finished 2-4 with a double, run scored and RBI.

            Freshman Dan Lester (Durham, Conn.), who broke up the Brouillard no-hitter with a single with two gone in the seventh, finished 2-4 with a run scored. Eric Boissy (Enfield, Conn.) was 1-4 with an RBI. Mike Lavato (Springfield, Conn.) suffered the loss, as he was touched for five earned runs on two hits and five walks in 1.2 innings.

            The Ravens took control of the game with five runs in the second. Pennell doubled in two runs and then scored on a sacrifice fly by Blancarte. Chambers capped the inning with a two-run double.

Teams	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
AIC	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	1	3	2
FP	0	5	1	0	1	2	0	0	x	9	13	3

BOX SCORE & PLAY-BY-PLAY

Batteries:
AIC – Mike Lavato, Bryan Soltis (3) and Chris Cali.
FP – Keith Brouillard and Eric Cavers, John Richard (8).  

WP: Brouillard (2-0)
LP: Lavato (1-1)  

            Franklin Pierce (7-12, 2-0 NE-10) and American International (2-11, 1-3 NE-10) round out their weekend series tomorrow with a single game at 1 p.m.