Ingui’s walk-off grand slam highlights five-run ninth as Ravens come back to win

RINDGE, N.H. (April 20, 2008) – The Franklin Pierce University baseball team, ranked eighth in this week’s pingbaseball.com Div. II poll, 11th in the latest NCBWA rankings and 16th in this week’s Collegiate Baseball magazine poll, scored five runs in the bottom of the ninth inning to stun Southern New Hampshire University, 6-2, in Northeast-10 Conference action on Sunday afternoon at Dr. Arthur and Martha Pappas Field.

Freshman Derek Ingui (Sterling, Mass./University of Tampa) provided the big blast of the ninth inning, slamming a pitch from SNHU sophomore Mike Evans (Seabrook, N.H./ Winnacunnet) over the left-center field fence with the bases loaded for a walk-off grand slam. Ingui finished 1-for-4 on the day, driving in four and scoring two runs.

Senior captain Tyler Bishop (Milford, N.H./University of Tampa) picked up the win (5-2) for Franklin Pierce after getting three outs in the top of the ninth. Bishop relieved junior Corey Muscara (Manchester, N.H./Siena College), who pitched 3.1 innings of relief without giving up a hit but issued a leadoff walk in the top of the ninth that eventually came around to score. Muscara struck out four and walked three during his outing.

The Ravens’ game-winning rally began with a walk to Bishop and was helped along by two bunt attempts. Sophomore Matt Skeffington (Auburn, N.H./Coastal Carolina) couldn’t get a sacrifice down in two chances but was hit by a 1-2 pitch later in his at-bat, and junior Randy Bernosky (Port Huron, Mich./Waubonsee CC) had his attempt turn into a base hit when he beat the throw to first from Evans. The next batter, classmate Ryan Copp (Cumberland, Maine/University of Maine), was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to plate the tying run and set up Ingui’s heroics.

Southern New Hampshire nearly shocked the Ravens by taking the lead in the top of the ninth inning. After a leadoff walk to Joseph Santos (Holliston, Mass./Holliston) ended Muscara’s day, a walk and an error loaded the bases with one out before freshman Timothy Rines (Northfield, N.H./Merrimack) lined a single up the middle to give his team the lead. Bishop avoided further damage, however, by recording a strikeout and inducing a ground out.

Neither offense had many opportunities in the first eight innings of the game, with Franklin Pierce receiving an sixth-inning RBI single by senior Kevin Renaud (Southbridge, Mass./ Becker College) and Santos getting Southern New Hampshire on the board first with an RBI double to left field in the fourth inning. The Penmen attempted to stretch that lead to 2-0 later in the fourth, but a perfect relay from the leftfielder Bishop to third baseman Cliff Hicks (Merrimack, N.H./Merrimack) cut down Santos at the plate.

Franklin Pierce (29-7-1, 14-5-1) returns to action tomorrow afternoon, as the Ravens take on Pace University in a key NE-10 matchup at Pappas Field beginning at 2 p.m. Southern New Hampshire (6-26, 4-19 NE-10) returns home to host Merrimack College Tuesday at 3:30 p.m.