#13/16
Franklin Pierce RINDGE,
N.H. (April 26, 2006) –
Franklin Pierce, ranked 13th in this week’s National
Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) poll and 16th
in this week’s Collegiate Baseball magazine Division II poll,
posted its fourth-straight shutout with a 2-0 decision over Pace
University in Northeast-10 Conference baseball action at Dr. Arthur
and Martha Pappas Field this afternoon.
Franklin Pierce has not allowed a run in its last 39 innings of
work over the record four shutouts, plus three innings in last
Thursday’s 7-1 victory at American International. Six of the Ravens
last eight wins have been by shutout and they have won five-straight
overall, 12 of 13 and 17 of 19.
Junior right-hander Arric Mather (Danville, N.H./Winnacunnet)
picked up his seventh win of the season (7-1), scattering seven hits
and two walks over seven-plus innings of work, striking out seven.
Senior Mike Farrell (Russell, Mass./Gateway Regional)
collected his second save of the spring with two perfect innings,
striking out three. He entered the game with two on and none out in
the eighth, working out of the jam unscathed. Senior Elliot Shea (Jaffrey, N.H./Conant) sparked the Ravens offense, going 2-for-4 with a double, run scored and two stolen bases. The steals were his Conference-leading 25th and 26th of the season, breaking teammate Vinny Pennell’s (Spencer, Mass./David Prouty) single-season record of 24 last season. Shea had two of the Ravens four hits on the afternoon, as they were out-hit 7-4 by Pace. Junior Kim Hart (Gorham, Maine/Gorham) finished 1-3 with an RBI.
Sophomore
Matt Arburr (Bristol, Conn./Bristol Eastern) led Pace as
he hit 1-for-3 with a double. Junior Matt Bisbano (Mt. Kisco,
N.Y./Fox Lane) and sophomore Chris Brown (West Kingston,
R.I./South Kingstown) were both 1-3 as well.
Senior Matt Reilly (Denville, N.J./Morris Knolls)
pitched outstanding in defeat for Pace (6-3), yielding just the two
earned runs on four hits and a walk with seven strikeouts in a
complete-game effort. Reilly was perfect through three before Shea
reached with a double down the leftfield line off the third
baseman’s glove.
The game was scoreless until the sixth when Franklin Pierce was
forced to use its bag of tricks in manufacturing a go-ahead run. Shea
singled with two outs, stole second base (breaking the single-season
record) and then reached third on a single through the left side by
senior Mike Chambers (Londonderry, N.H./Londonderry).
Chambers then wandered off first base, drawing a throw to first from
Reilly, which allowed Shea to score on a delayed steal.
The Ravens added an insurance run in the seventh as senior
All-American Bryan Duplissie (East Swanzey, N.H./Monadnock
Regional) drew a leadoff walk, then reached third on a
sacrifice bunt and ground out before scoring on a single to right from
Hart.
Pace threatened in the eighth with back-to-back singles off
Mather to start the frame. However, Farrell came on and got a fly
ball, strikeout and ground out to end the threat. He retired the side
in order in the ninth. Franklin Pierce (34-9, 19-5 NE-10) is back in action tomorrow when it hosts Saint Anselm College at Dr. Pappas Field at 3:30 p.m. Pace (25-15, 10-9 NE-10) hosts the College of Saint Rose tomorrow at 3:30 p.m. |
