2006 NCAA DIVISION II BASEBALL CHAMPIONSHIP #6 Ashland Rolls Past #12 Franklin Pierce, 14-4
Eagles erase early two-run deficit, Davidson earns mound win, while Barry and Randall pace offense.
MONTGOMERY, Ala. (May 28, 2006) - No. 6-ranked Ashland University erased an early two-run deficit before posting a 14-4 victory over 12th-ranked Franklin Pierce in game three of the 2006 NCAA Division II Baseball Championships at Paterson Field this afternoon.
Ashland (47-15) will now face 5th-ranked Cal State Chico (44-20), a 2-1 winner over No. 2 Emporia State (48-12) in today's second game, on Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. (EDT). Franklin Pierce (44-12) must now work its way out of the loser's bracket, beginning with an elimination game against Emporia State on Tuesday at 3:30 p.m. (EDT).
"We played a really balanced game today," said Ashland Head Coach John Schaly. "We got a good pitching performance from (John Davidson), good defense and a strong offensive effort. We really couldn't have played any better today."
Junior right-hander Josh Davidson (Lexington, Ohio) collected his 14th win of the season (14-5), moving within one of Ashland's single-season victory record, with 7.1 solid innings of work. He settled down after allowing three runs in the first four frames, yielding four runs in all while scattering eight hits with three strikeouts and three walks.
"I just tried to change it up on (the batters) as much as I could," said Davidson. "I wanted to keep them off-balance and much as possible."
Senior shortstop Jim Barry (Mentor, Ohio) and junior second baseman Justin Randall (Sarnia, Ontario) paced the Eagles 14-hit attack. Barry was 3-for-5 with three RBI and a run scored, while Randall finished 3-5 with a double, run scored and three RBI. Junior third baseman Justin Richards (Bergholz, Ohio) hit 2-4 with a double and two RBI, while junior catcher Eric Zattlin (Grand Haven, Mich.) finished 2-2 with an RBI and two runs scored.
"We have a strong lineup one through nine," said Schaly. "We feel like any one of them is capable of driving in runs at any time."
Senior Randy Fenton (Worcester, Mass./Doherty) and junior Vinny Pennell (Spencer, Mass./David Prouty) paced Franklin Pierce, which finished with 11 hits. Both were 2-for-4 with an RBI, while Pennell also scored a run. Freshman Scott Savastano (Plymouth, Mass./Plymouth North) was 2-4 with a double and run scored, while junior All-American Garrett Olson (Norway, Maine/Oxford Hills) notched his 14th home run of the season (28th career), moving him within one of the program's single-season record set by Mal Higgins in 2001 and within two of Higgins career mark of 30 from 1999-2001.
Junior Shane Presutti (Southbridge, Mass./Southbridge) failed on his third attempt to match the program's single-season victory record as he was touched for five earned runs on five hits and two walks with two strikeouts in just 2.1 innings to take his second loss of the season (9-2).
"I think when you get to this stage the cream tends to rise to the top and today it didn't happen for us," said Franklin Pierce Head Coach Jayson King.
Olson got Franklin Pierce off on the right foot as he belted the first pitch of the game over the right centerfield fence. The Ravens added another run in the second and Savastano led off with an infield single and later scored on a two-out single to right center by Fenton.
"I was sitting dead red fastball and that's what (Davidson) gave me middle away and I was able to get a good swing on it," said Olson of his leadoff homer. "(Davidson) made good adjustments all day, if somebody had success off him with a certain pitch, we didn't see it again. That was the last fastball I saw all day."
Presutti retired the first five batters he faced, then issued a four-pitch walk and had a second-runner reach on a wild pitch on a swinging strike three. Zattlin followed with an RBI single to left center before the tying run scored on a balk. Ashland, which scored multiple runs in every inning except scoreless first and sixth frames, took the lead for good with three in the third. Randall notched an RBI double and Richards followed with a two-run double down the leftfield line that chased Presutti.
"Shane let a lot of things bother him on the mound that shouldn't have," said King. "He lost his focus and couldn't throw strikes and we knew we had to get him out of there right away."
Franklin Pierce got a run back in the fourth, cutting the deficit to 5-3, as Pennell singled with one out and later scored on a Matt Anderson (Medford, Mass./Medford) single to left with two out. The Eagles answered right back with three more in the home half, sparked by a two-run single up the middle by Randall.
Ashland got a run in the fourth, then broke the game open with three more in the seventh, all after the Ravens retired the first two batters. Barry notched a two-run single up the middle and a second balk on the afternoon plated the third run.
Franklin Pierce scratched together a fourth run in the eighth on an RBI single from Pennell. The Ravens rally was short-lived as they left the bases loaded and Ashland ended any hopes of a miracle comeback with two more in the bottom of the eighth.
"We didn't play well today at all," said King. "We got terrible pitching and I'm very disappointed in how we performed today in all phases of the game."