Franklin
Pierce Clips NORTH
ANDOVER, Mass. (March 30, 2004) –
Franklin Pierce, ranked No. 8 in this week’s National Collegiate
Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) Division II Northeast Region poll,
scored the winning run on a throwing error in the top of the eighth
inning to post a 3-2 decision over Merrimack College in Northeast-10
Conference baseball action at Warrior Field this afternoon. Franklin Pierce erased deficits of 1-0 and 2-1 and sophomore Mike Chambers (Londonderry, N.H./Londonderry), who drew a one-out walk, scored the winning run in the eighth when Merrimack senior shortstop Bryan Green (Boxford, Mass./Masconomet) threw the ball away on an attempt to turn an inning-ending double play.
Freshman
Garrett Olson (Norway, Maine/Oxford Hills) paced the
Ravens offense as he hit 3-for-4 to extend his team-leading hitting
streak to eight games. Senior Dante Blancarte (South Berwick,
Maine/Amesbury (Mass.)) was 1-3 with an RBI, while sophomore Randy
Fenton (Worcester, Mass./Doherty) finished 1-3 with a run
scored. Freshman Vinny Pennell (Spencer, Mass./David Prouty)
extended his season-best hitting streak to six games with a 1-3 effort.
Junior right-hander Keith Brouillard (Westport,
Mass./Somerset) improved to 3-0 on the season as he pitched
4.1-innings of two-hit shutout relief with three strikeouts and two
walks. Freshman Neil Cacciola (North Andover, Mass./Wakefield)
went the first 4.2 innings, allowing two runs, just one earned, on three
hits with two strikeouts and four walks. Freshman Brian DeMasse (Reading, Mass./Reading) was the hard-luck loser for Merrimack as he allowed three runs, just two earned, on eight hits with three strikeouts and two walks in 7.1 innings of work.
Green
hit 2-5 with a run scored to lead the Warriors on offense, while senior Shawn
Lawton (Andover, Mass./Andover) was 1-3 with an RBI.
Merrimack took a 1-0 lead with two out in the bottom of the first
when Green singled and scored on an RBI single by Lawton down the
leftfield line.
The Ravens answered with a run in the third when Fenton led off
with a single and scored on a two-out single to left from sophomore Elliott
Shea (Jaffrey, N.H./Conant). The Warriors regained the lead in
the fourth when junior Taylor Elder (Merrimack, N.H./Merrimack) was
hit by a pitch and scored on an error by Cacciola on a fielder’s
choice.
The Ravens knotted the score again in the fifth when Blancarte
singled to left to score junior Eric Cavers (Otisfield,
Maine/Oxford Hills). Franklin Pierce (9-14, 4-2 NE-10) and Merrimack (4-11, 1-4 NE-10) are slated to play a doubleheader in Rindge on Thursday beginning at 2 p.m. |
