#9
Franklin Pierce Opens
Franklin Pierce needed extra innings to claim a 4-3 victory in
ten innings in game one of the doubleheader, before rolling to a 10-1
win in the nightcap. The Ravens first win marked the 200th
for Head Coach Jayson
King
in eight seasons at Franklin Pierce. He has now posted a 201-135-1
(.598) record at the College and has registered a 222-182-1 (.549)
career record in ten seasons, which included two years at UMass
Boston. The Ravens, off to their best start in program history, are also winners of ten-straight, two shy of the school record for longest streak set in 2004.
In
game one, junior Vinny
Pennell (Spencer, Mass./David Prouty)
led off the bottom of the tenth with a single and later scored on a
suicide squeeze with senior Randy
Fenton (Worcester, Mass./Doherty)
with one out to give Franklin Pierce a 4-3 victory. The Ravens
surrendered a 2-0 lead when Molloy scored three in the top of the
seventh (in the seven-inning game) and needing a run in the home half
to force extra frames.
Though he didn’t figure in on the decision, junior
right-hander Daniel
Fournier (Worcester, Mass./Holy Name)
allowed just two hits in six shutout innings of work, walking two and
striking out seven. He has yet to allow a run in 17 innings of work so
far this season – just two thirds of an inning shy of former
teammate Keith Brouillard’s school record for consecutive shutout
innings. Junior Arric
Mather (Danville, N.H./Winnacunett)
tossed a perfect tenth, striking out one, to earn his first career
victory.
Pennell sparked the Ravens offense as he hit 4-for-5 with a
stolen base and run scored. Freshman Scott
Savastano (Plymouth, Mass./Plymouth North)
was 3-5, while Fenton finished 2-5 with a double and two RBI. Senior Elliott
Shea (Jaffrey, N.H./Conant)
chipped in by hitting 2-4 with a run scored and school-record matching
three stolen bases. Senior Dennis Conroy (West Hempstead, N.Y./West Hempstead) also didn’t figure in on the decision, scattering three earned runs and ten hits with five strikeouts and three walks over eight innings of work. Classmate Brent Savin (Wantagh, N.Y./Wantagh) picked up the loss in relief.
Franklin
Pierce jumped on the board with a single run in the first as junior
All-American Garrett
Olson (Norway, Maine/Oxford Hills)
led off with a double and scored on sacrifice fly from senior
All-American Bryan
Duplissie (East Swanzey, N.H./Monadnock Regional).
The Ravens extended their lead to 2-0 in the third as Shea singled,
stole second and scored on an RBI single from Duplissie.
Molloy rallied with three in the top of the seventh without the
benefit of a hit. Two walks and a hit batter loaded the bases before
junior Drew
Adler (Merrick, N.Y./Fordham)
and freshman Patrick
Walsh (Bellmore, N.Y./Holy Trinity)
both drew bases-loaded walks to knot the score. Senior Frank
DiFranco (Lindenhurst. N.Y./Lindenhurst)
pushed the Lions ahead with a sacrifice fly.
Franklin Pierce answered in the home half to force extra
frames. Sophomore Matt
Anderson (Medford, Mass./Medford)
led off with a single and Fenton drove in junior pinch-runner Jake
Christman (Newton, Mass./Newton South)
with a double.
Fenton also drove in the winning run in the tenth with a
perfect bunt on a suicide squeeze with Pennell, who had earlier
reached on a single. In the nightcap, Franklin Pierce opened a 7-1 lead after three innings and never looked back in posting its tenth-straight win, a 10-1 victory.
Savastano
was 3-for-3 with a double, three RBI, three runs scored and a stolen
base, while Anderson hit 2-3 with a double, RBI and run scored.
Pennell hit 2-3 with a pair of doubles and two runs scored, while
Olson finished 2-4 with a stolen base and run scored. Shea chipped in
with two more steals in a 2-4 game and an RBI.
Sophomore Shane
Presutti (Southbridge, Mass./Southbridge)
picked up his third win of the season (3-0) with five strong innings,
allowing just the one earned run on three hits with five strikeouts
and two walks.
Freshman Steven
Stewart (Levittown, N.Y./WT Clarke)
suffered the loss for Molloy as he was touched for seven earned runs
on ten hits with no walks and a strikeout over three innings. Franklin Pierce struck for five runs in the first, marking the ninth time in 11 games this season the Ravens have scored in their first at bat and the 15th time in 18 games dating back to last season. Junior Kim Hart (Gorham, Maine/Gorham) got things started with a two-run single, followed by a two-run double from Anderson. Savastano added an RBI single.
The
Lions struck for their lone run of the game in the second as freshman Peter
Loeb (College Point, N.Y./St. Francis Prep)
singled, advanced to second on a passed ball and scored on a single
from sophomore Devin
Scalabrini (Peekskill, N.Y./Mahopac). The Ravens added two in the third with a two-run double from Fenton, then broke the game open with two in the fifth as Savastano registered an RBI single and later scored on a sac fly by Fenton. Franklin Pierce rounded out the scoring in the sixth as Christman was hit by a pitch and later scored on a wild pitch. Franklin Pierce (10-1, 0-0 NE-10) is back in action tomorrow for another pair of key in-region games against Caldwell College at Jack Russell Stadium beginning at noon. Molloy (7-9) heads back up north and hosts Dominican College on Tuesday at 3 p.m. |
