Franklin Pierce Splits With 
Wayne State
Warriors ride big inning to game one win
Ravens jump out early in game two victory

FORT MYERS, Fla. (March 13, 2004) – Franklin Pierce, receiving votes in both the National Collegiate Baseball Writers of America (NCBWA) and Collegiate Baseball magazine Division II polls this week, split a non-conference doubleheader with Wayne State University of Michigan at the Gene Cusic Classic today. Wayne State rode a big fifth inning rally to post a 10-3 victory in game one, before Franklin Pierce raced out to a 13-3 lead after three innings en route to an 18-8 triumph in game two.

            In game one, Wayne State scored seven runs in the fifth inning to erase a 3-1 deficit and put an end to Franklin Pierce’s three-game winning streak. Senior Nick Demers (Eastpointe, Mich./East Detroit) lined a two-run single to spark the Warriors rally and put his team ahead for good during the decisive frame.

            Sophomore centerfielder Elliott Shea (Jaffrey, N.H./Conant) hit 2-for-4, including a solo home run in the bottom of the first to put the Ravens in front. Freshman Kim Hart (Gorham, Maine/Gorham) was 2-3 with an RBI single in the second, while junior Eric Cavers (Otisfield, Maine/Oxford Hills) finished 2-3 with an RBI, which came on a sacrifice fly, to put Franklin Pierce up 3-1 in the fourth.

            Freshman Tom Gilmore (Miller Place, N.Y./Miller Place) suffered the loss (0-1) as he failed to retire a batter in relief of sophomore starter Mike Farrell (Russell, Mass./Gateway) in the fifth. Gilmore allowed four earned runs on three hits and no walks. Farrell turned in 4.1 solid innings of work, yielding three earned runs on two hits with four walks and four strikeouts.
 

Teams	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	R	H	E
WSU	0	0	0	1	7	0	2	10	8	0
FP	1	1	0	1	0	0	0	3	11	3

BOX SCORE & PLAY-BY-PLAY

Batteries:
WSU – Kirk Anderson, Frank DiCristofaro (7) and Joe Neal.
FP – Mike Farrell, Tom Gilmore (5), Neil Cacciola (5) and Eric Cavers.  

WP: Anderson (1-0)
LP: Gilmore (0-1)
HR: Elliott Shea (1^st, solo in the first)               

In the nightcap, Franklin Pierce scored seven runs in the top of the first and raced out to a 14-3 lead after three and a half innings and never looked back in posting an 18-8 triumph.

            Freshman third baseman Garrett Olson (Norway, Maine/Oxford Hills) was 3-for-6 with a home runs and five RBI to pace the Ravens. Cavers finished 3-5 with three runs scored, a double and an RBI, while Hart had another strong game going 2-3 with an RBI. Freshman Vinnie Pennell (Spencer, Mass./David Prouty) finished 3-4 with a double and two RBI.

            Freshman Daniel Fournier (Worcester, Mass./Holy Name) posted his second-straight win to open his collegiate career as he allowed just three earned runs on five hits with three walks and five strikeouts over five innings of work.

            Shea, Olson, Hart and sophomore Mike Feetham (Quincy, Mass./North Quincy) all recorded RBI singles for Franklin Pierce in the first. Pennell sparked a three-run second with a two-run double, while Olson’s first career homer, a two-run shot, led a three-run Ravens third.

Teams	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	R	H	E
FP	7	3	3	1	0	4	0	18	15	1
WSU	1	2	0	0	0	5	0	8	8	5

BOX SCORE & PLAY-BY-PLAY

Batteries:
FP – Daniel Fournier, Stephen Minor (6), Bryan Comeau (7) and Eric Cavers, Robert Kahl (6), John Richard (7).
WSU – Miguel Lokuta, Mike Miller (2), Dan Barnes (2), Andy Claerr (5), Matt Niemiec (6), Frank DiChristofaro (6) and Nate Przygocki, Jon Weisman and Neal.  

WP: Fournier (2-0)
LP: Lokuta (0-1)
HR: Garrett Olson (1, 2-runs in the 3^rd)  

            Franklin Pierce (4-4) returns to action tomorrow for a doubleheader with New Jersey Institute of Technology at 4 p.m. Wayne State (2-1) has a doubleheader with North Dakota State University Sunday at 4 p.m.