North
Dakota State Thumps FORT
MYERS, Fla. (March 16, 2004) –
Franklin Pierce, ranked fourth in this week’s National Collegiate
Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) Northeast Regional poll, suffered
an 18-6 loss to North Dakota State University in a game shortened to
seven innings because of rain at the Gene Cusic Classic this morning.
North Dakota State erupted for 15 runs over the final four
innings and totaled 20 hits for the game. Senior shortstop Jeremiah
Piepkorn (Sauk Rapids, Minn.) nearly single-handedly topped the
Ravens as his three-run homer in the fifth broke open a 5-4 game before
adding an RBI double in a five-run Bison sixth and belted another
three-run bomb in a five-run seventh.
Freshman reliever Neil Cacciola (North Andover,
Mass./Wakefield) suffered the loss, as he was touched for four
runs, three earned, on four hits with two walks and two strikeouts over
1.1 innings. He came on for junior Ryan Bowling (Cedar Springs,
Mich./Muskegon CC) who allowed four runs, three earned, on seven
hits and a walk with three strikeouts over the first 3.1 innings.
Freshman Garrett Olson (Norway, Maine/Oxford Hills)
was 1-for-2 at the plate with a pair of walks, a run scored and an RBI.
Senior Dante Blancarte (Amesbury, Mass./Amesbury) was 1-3
with an RBI and run scored as was freshman Kim Hart (Gorham,
Maine/Gorham).
After NDSU struck for a pair of runs in the top of the first, the
Ravens rallied with four in the bottom of the frame to take the lead.
Junior Eric Cavers (Otisfield, Maine/Oxford Hills) and
Blancarte singled and scored when Piepkorn fired a double-play ball into
rightfield. Sophomore Mike Feetham (Quincy, Mass./North Quincy)
drove in Mike Chambers (Londonderry, N.H./Londonderry) on
a fielder’s choice, then scored on an RBI single by Hart.
After closing to within 4-3 with a single run in the third, the
Bison regained the lead for good with a pair of unearned runs in the
fourth. Senior Chris Baso (Menahga, Minn.) doubled, and
then scored when freshman Chauncey Calhoun (Surprise, Ariz.)
reached on an fielding error. He later scored on another Franklin Pierce
miscue.
Franklin Pierce (5-6) returns to action with a pair of games
tomorrow. The Ravens will face Teikyo Post University at 9 a.m., before
a noon contest against the University of North Dakota. North Dakota
State (6-8) faces Caldwell College tomorrow at 9 a.m.
Batteries: WP:
Goltz |
