NCAA II NORTHEAST REGIONAL #11 Franklin Pierce Eliminates UMass Lowell, 9-4
Top-seeded Ravens roll on in winner's bracket, notch record 47th win
RINDGE, N.H. (May 18, 2007) - Top-seeded Franklin Pierce, ranked 11th in this week's Collegiate Baseball magazine poll, moves on in the winner's bracket of the 2007 NCAA Division II Northeast Regional Tournament with a 9-4 victory over third-seeded University of Massachusetts Lowell in game five of the regional at Dr. Arthur & Martha Pappas Field this afternoon.
Franklin Pierce (47-9) will face second-seeded Adelphi University (34-15) tomorrow at 11 a.m. Adelphi blanked fourth-seeded Caldwell College (25-14) in today's final game, 4-0. With the win, the Ravens establish a new program record for a single-season surpassing last year's previous best of 46 victories. UMass Lowell sees its season come to a close at 33-20 overall, 25-7 in the Northeast-10 Conference.
Senior right-hander Arric Mather (Danville, N.H./Winnacunnet) posted his seventh victory (7-1) of the season on the mound for Franklin Pierce, allowing two runs, just one earned, on eight hits with five strikeouts and three walks over seven innings.
Sophomore Scott Savastano (Plymouth, Mass./Plymouth North) hit 2-for-4 for the Ravens with a double, run scored and two RBI. Senior Jake Christman (Newton, Mass./Newton South) was 2-3 with a double, two stolen bases, two runs scored and an RBI, while classmate Cory Shepherd (Worcester, Mass./Burncoat) batted 1-3 with a double and two RBI. Senior Vinny Pennell (Spencer, Mass./David Prouty) was 2-for-5 with a stolen base and run scored.
Senior Jerod Edmondson (Johnson City, N.Y.) led UMass Lowell as he hit 4-for-5 with a double, RBI and three runs scored. Classmate Patrick Wilson (Dracut, Mass./Bishop Guertin) was 2-5 with two RBI, while classmate Steve Paddock (Milford, Mass.) finished 2-3.
Senior Ryan Williams (Lynnfield, Mass.) took the loss (6-4), allowing six earned runs on eight hits with a strikeout and two walks over 5.2 innings.
UMass Lowell opened the scoring with an unearned run in the third. Edmondson singled to left with one out. Wilson reached on a fielding error by Shepherd, whose throw to first sailed high to allow Edmondson to score.
Franklin Pierce erupted with four in the fourth to take the lead for good, with the benefit of three doubles. Junior Keith Renaud (Southbridge, Mass./Southbridge) drew a one out walk, before twin brother Kevin Renaud (Southbridge, Mass./Southbridge) doubled down the leftfield line for the Ravens first hit of the game. Keith Renaud scored on a wild pitch, before Savastano followed with an RBI double to left center and freshman Kevin Rivers (Bristol, Conn./Bristol Eastern) picked up an RBI single up the middle. Christman capped the rally with an RBI double to right.
The Ravens added a pair in the sixth on Shepherd's two-run double down the leftfield line. The River Hawks got a run back in the seventh when Edmondson singled up the middle with one out and scored on a single down the right field line by Wilson.
Franklin Pierce added a single run in the home half with an RBI single through the left side by Savastano. The Ravens broke the game open with two in the eighth with two steals of home plate. Christman scored with a straight steal of home, while Pennell scored in a successful double steal with Keith Renaud.
UMass Lowell rounded out the scoring with two in the ninth on an Edmondson RBI double, who later scored on a ground out.