2006
NCAA II NORTHEAST REGIONAL RINDGE,
N.H. (May 21, 2006) –
Top-seeded Franklin Pierce built a 14-2 lead in the top of the sixth,
but was forced to withstand a furious comeback effort by fifth-seeded
Dominican College for a 15-13 victory in game nine of the 2006 NCAA
Division II Northeast Regional at Dr. Arthur and Martha Pappas Field
this morning.
Franklin Pierce (43-11)
advances to the championship round of the regional for the third time
in four years. The Ravens await the winner of today’s second game
between Dominican (42-17) and fourth-seeded Southern Connecticut State
University (35-18) for a title game Monday at 11 a.m. Franklin Pierce seeks its second trip to the NCAA Division II Championships in Montgomery, Ala., after earning a trip to the World Series in 2003. The Ravens lost to Southern Connecticut here at Dr. Pappas Field in the 2005 regional final.
Senior second baseman Mike
Chambers (Londonderry, N.H./Londonderry) led the 17-hit
offensive barrage for Franklin Pierce, going 4-for-6 with a pair of
home runs, a double and four RBI. Classmate Randy Fenton
(Worcester, Mass./Doherty) was 2-4 with the first grand slam
of his career and two runs scored, while junior Vinny Pennell
(Spencer, Mass./David Prouty) was 3-6 with with two runs
scored.
Senior Elliot Shea
(Jaffrey, N.H./Conant) hit 2-5 with a double, homer, two runs
scored and three RBI. His leadoff home run in the sixth was the 247th
hit of his career, surpassing the program record of 246 set by
assistant coach Scott Loiseau (1999-2002). The Ravens, which entered
the game with a regional-best 11 home runs, belted six more this
morning and six different players notched multiple-hits in their
17-hit attack.
Junior right-hander Arric
Mather (Danville, N.H./Winnacunett) picked up the win (9-1),
though we has hit for six earned runs on nine hits and a walk with one
strikeout in 5.2 innings of work. Mather held the Chargers scoreless
on three hits through the first four innings before yielding a pair of
runs in the fifth.
Sophomore Sean Brown
(Massapequa, N.Y./St. Anthony’s) paced Dominican, going
3-for-5 with a home run, two doubles, three runs scored and five RBI.
Senior Chad Duesler (Northville, N.Y./Northville Central)
was 2-3 with three RBI. Senior Mike Zani (Goshen, N.Y./Goshen)
and freshman Jose Made (Binghamton, N.Y./Binghamton)
were both 3-6 with a double and RBI. Sophomore Tommy Mejia (Brooklyn, N.Y./Newton) suffered the loss (8-3), allowing 14 runs, 13 earned, on 13 hits and four walks with two strikeouts in six innings of work. Sophomore Michael Mondesir (Jamaica, N.Y./Holy Cross) and freshman Brendan Bohan (Rutherford, N.J./St. Mary’s) combined to allow just an earned run on three hits with a strikeout and walk over the final three innings to give the Chargers a chance to come back.
The game was scoreless
through the first innings, before Franklin Pierce plated seven runs in
the fourth. Shea sparked the inning with a two-run double to left,
while Chambers delivered his first home run of the day with a
three-run blast to left. The Ravens took advantage of three Dominican
errors in the inning for two more runs.
Dominican got two runs back in the fifth as Brown posted an RBI
double and later scored on a single to center by Zani. However, the
Ravens scored seven more in the sixth to open a 14-2 advantage. Shea,
Chambers and junior All-American Garrett Olson (Norway,
Maine/Oxford Hills) hit back-to-back-to-back homers to leadoff
the inning. Fenton capped the rally with his first career grand slam
with two outs.
Dominican drew within eight
runs with four in the home half of the sixth. Duesler posted a
sacrifice fly with the bases loaded, then Brown belted a three-run
homer to left center with two-out that chased Mather. Duesler
delivered a two-run single to center as the Chargers scored twice in
the eighth. After a solo homer from senior All-American Bryan Duplissie (East Swanzey, N.H./Monadnock Regional) in the top of the ninth, Dominican rallied in the home half. Brown’s RBI double down the line drew the Chargers within 15-11 with one out. Junior Keith Gebert (Brooklyn, N.Y./Xavarian) followed with an RBI infield single, before Made smacked an RBI double to pull within two runs with two out. Senior reliever Mike Farrell (Russell, Mass./Gateway Regional) escaped the jam, by forcing a ground out to shortstop with runners on second and third to end the game. |
