#21
Florida Gulf Coast Rocks FORT
MYERS, Fla. (March 23, 2006) –
Florida Gulf Coast University, ranked No. 21 in this week’s Collegiate
Baseball magazine Division II poll, opened a 9-0 lead after two
innings and cruised to a 14-1 victory over No. 7 Franklin Pierce in a
non-conference baseball match up at Swanson Stadium this evening.
Florida Gulf Coast, winners of eight straight and 11 of its
last 12, handed Franklin Pierce its worst loss in almost three years
when the Ravens were handed a 17-0 setback at UMass Lowell in the
Northeast-10 Conference Tournament on May 10, 2003. The Eagles 14 runs
and 16 hits are the most allowed by the Ravens this season and FCGU
also limited the Ravens offense to less than ten hits for just the
second time this season (both losses).
Senior Jason Louwsma (Sanford, Fla.) led the
Florida Gulf Coast offense as he hit 3-for-5 with a double, three runs
scored and five RBI. Freshman Josh Upchurch (Cape Coral,
Fla./Mariner) was 3-3 with a double, three runs scored and an
RBI, while sophomore Graig Smith (Venice, Fla./Venice)
hit 3-5 with a double, RBI and two runs scored. Junior Chris Hassen (Port Charlotte, Fla./Port Charlotte) led four FGCU pitchers that kept the Ravens offensive attack in check with three shutout innings of work, allowing just two hits with a walk and strikeout over three innings to pick up the win (3-1). Junior Justin Stiver (Englewood, Fla.), a transfer from the University of Florida, allowed just a hit and walk over four shutout innings with four strikeouts.
Junior
Kim Hart (Gorham, Maine/Gorham) was the lone Franklin
Pierce batter with multiple hits as he finished 2-for-4 with an RBI.
Freshman Scott Savastano (Plymouth, Mass./Plymouth North)
was 1-2 with a walk, while junior Jake Christman (Newton,
Mass./Newton South) roped a double in his lone at bat and
scored the Ravens lone run.
Junior right-hander Daniel Fournier (Worcester,
Mass./Holy Name) suffered his first loss of the season (2-1)
as he was hit for eight runs, seven earned, on six hits and two walks
in an inning plus of work. Fournier saw his bid to break former
teammate Keith Brouillard’s record for consecutive shutout innings
come to an end just a third of an inning shy of the mark. FGCU plated
a pair of runs with one out in the bottom of the first, snapping
Fournier’s shutout streak at 17.1 innings to open the season.
The Eagles sent 12 batters to the plate and scored seven runs
in the second inning to open a 9-0 lead. Louwsma sparked the frame
with a two-run single, while junior Geoff Rottmayer (Clearwater,
Fla.) added a solo home run. FGCU added three more runs in the
fifth, thanks to an RBI single from Louwsma and a Rottmayer sacrifice
fly. Upchurch and Louwsma each collected RBI singles as the Eagles
rounded out its scoring with two runs in the eighth.
Franklin Pierce avoided the shutout with a single run in the
ninth. Christman roped a one out double to right center, and then
scored two batters later as Hart singled through the right side. Franklin Pierce (13-3, 0-0 NE-10) heads back across the Florida peninsula and opens a three-game series with Nova Southeastern University, receiving votes in this week’s Collegiate Baseball magazine poll, in Fort Lauderdale, tomorrow night at 6 p.m. Florida Gulf Coast (22-5) visits Clark Atlanta University for a doubleheader Monday at 4 p.m. |
