2005 NCAA DIVISION II NORTHEAST REGIONAL #4 UMass Lowell Stuns #1 Franklin Pierce, 8-2
Laurin settles down after yielding leadoff homer, scatters six hits over eight-plus innings
RINDGE, N.H. (May 19, 2005) - Fourth-seeded UMass Lowell jumped out to a 6-1 lead and went on to collect an 8-2 victory over top-seeded Franklin Pierce, ranked No. 27 in this week's Collegiate Baseball magazine Division II poll, in opening day action at the 2005 NCAA Division II Northeast Regional at Dr. Arthur and Martha Pappas Field this afternoon.
UMass Lowell (28-18) will face second-seeded Southern Connecticut State University (29-12) in tomorrow's winner's bracket semifinal at 1 p.m. Franklin Pierce (30-13) will battle third-seeded Adelphi University (25-18) in an elimination game tomorrow at 9:30 a.m. Southern posted a 6-1 triumph over Adelphi in today's first game.
UMass Lowell got eight-plus solid innings from senior left-hander Brad Laurin (Dracut, Mass./Central Catholic) as he yielded the two earned runs while scattering six hits and three walks with four strikeouts to even his season record at 5-5.
Classmate Nate Liebenow (Hampton, N.H./Winnacunnet) led the River Hawks offense as he reached base in all five trips to the plate, finishing 4-for-4 with a double and three runs scored. Senior Miles Page (Dracut, Mass./Central Catholic), junior Bob Theriault (Lowell, Mass./Lowell) and sophomore Patrick Wilson (Dracut, Mass./Bishop Guertin) all registered two RBI on the afternoon. Freshman Tim Manton (Swansea, Mass./Joseph Case) finished 2-5.
Sophomore Garrett Olson (Norway, Maine/Oxford Hills) hit 1-for-4 for Franklin Pierce with a home run (tenth of the year) and two RBI. Freshman Matt Anderson (Medford, Mass./Medford) was 2-4, while junior Shawn Hayes (Charlton, Mass./Holy Name) was 1-2 with a double and two walks.
Senior Bryan Borowski (Clarksburg, Mass./Drury) suffered just his second loss of the season (7-2) for the Ravens as he was hit for six earned runs on six hits and three walks with four strikeouts in five innings of work.
Franklin Pierce struck for a single run in the first, marking the fourth-straight game and 23rd time this season the Ravens have scored in the opening frame (19-5 record). Olson belted his tenth home run of the season with a leadoff shot over the wall in left on the third pitch of the game from Laurin.
UMass Lowell erupted for four in the third inning to take the lead for good. Wilson delivered a two-run single through the right side with the bases loaded and one out, before Theriault laced a two-run double after Page was erased with a pop foul down the right field line.
Page connected on a two-run homer to right center in the fifth with two out to put the River Hawks up 6-1. UML broke the game open with two more in the top of the ninth thanks to a wild pitch and a throwing error by Anderson, his first of the season.
Franklin Pierce rounded out the scoring as it scratched together a run in the bottom of the ninth. The Ravens got two straight singles to leadoff the inning and chase Laurin.
Sophomore Ron Nelson (Shrewsbury, Mass./Shrewsbury) came on was greeted by a single from junior Randy Fenton (Worcester, Mass./Doherty) to load the bases with none out. Olson got what appeared to be a key single to center, but Anderson was caught too close to second and was forced out at third, scoring sophomore Kim Hart (Gorham, Maine/Gorham), who reached with a leadoff single. Nelson settled in from there and retired the next two batters to end the game.