Southern
Connecticut Holds
Southern Connecticut rode a complete-game effort from senior
lefthander Jeff Farrell (Naugatuck, Conn./Naugatuck) for
today’s win as he improved to 3-1 on the year. He allowed two earned
runs, while scattering seven hits with three strikeouts and no walks
over the nine innings.
Junior Jim McLaughlin (Medway, Mass./Medway)
fueled the Owls offense, hitting a perfect 4-for-4 with three doubles,
a triple and two RBI. Junior Nick Czekaj (Branford,
Conn./Branford) was 2-4 with an RBI and two runs scored, while
classmate Steve Gatewood (Franklin, Mass./Franklin)
finished 1-3 with a stolen base, RBI and run scored. Junior right-hander Arric Mather (Danville, N.H./Winnacunnet), making just the second start of his career and first since March 13, 2003, suffered his first loss of the year (3-1) as he was touched for four earned runs on six hits and two walks with three strikeouts over 6.1 innings.
The
top four batters in Franklin Pierce’s lineup accounted for six of
the Ravens seven hits on the afternoon with the rest of the lineup
going a combined 1-for-15. Junior All-American Garrett Olson
(Norway, Maine/Oxford Hills) led the way by hitting 2-for-3
with a double, stolen base and two runs scored. Senior Elliott
Shea (Jaffrey, N.H./Conant) was 2-4, while classmate Mike
Chambers (Londonderry, N.H./Londonderry) finished 1-2 with an
RBI. Senior All-American Bryan Duplissie (East Swanzey, N.H./Monadnock
Regional) hit 1-3 with an RBI.
Franklin Pierce struck first, scoring in its first at bat for
the 15th time in 21 games this season, with a single run in
the first inning. Olson singled through the right side to lead things
off and stole second. Shea followed with a single to push Olson to
third before scoring on a sacrifice fly to left by Chambers.
Southern took its first lead with two runs in the fourth.
Freshman Karl Derbacher (Northford, Conn./North Branford)
led off with a single, stole second, and then scored on a single
through the right side by Czekaj. McLaughlin followed with a two-out
double down the leftfield line to score Czekaj.
The Ravens knotted the score in the sixth as Olson was hit by a
Farrell pitch to lead off the inning, followed by a single from Shea.
Chambers sacrificed the two over before Duplissie followed with a sac
fly to drive in Olson. The Ravens perhaps ran themselves out of an
additional run in the inning as Southern doubled off Shea for the
final out on the play.
Southern took the lead for good with two runs in the seventh.
McLaughlin led off with a double and scored on a Gatewood single with
one out. Gatewood stole second, and then scored on a Michael
Diaz (Monroe, Conn./Masuk) triple to right center.
The Owls added an insurance run in the eighth as Czekaj singled
with two out. McLaughlin followed with his third double of the day to
drive home Czekaj and round out the scoring before Farrell retired
Franklin Pierce in order in the ninth. Franklin Pierce (16-5, 1-1 NE-10) is back in action on Saturday when is opens a three-game weekend series with Stonehill College in a rematch of last year’s Northeast-10 Tournament Championship. The teams will meet for a doubleheader at Dr. Arthur and Martha Pappas Field in Rindge on Saturday at noon, before rounding out the series in Easton, Mass., on Sunday at 1 p.m. Southern Connecticut (14-7, 3-1 NE-10) opens a three-game series with Bentley College with a doubleheader on Saturday in Waltham, Mass., at noon. |
