Ravens roll to pair of non-conference wins, topping Purple Knights 12-3 in game one and 20-2 in the nightcap

RINDGE, N.H. (April 6, 2008) – Franklin Pierce University, ranked fourth in this week’s pingbaseball.com Division II poll, fifth in the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) rankings and seventh in the Collegiate Baseball magazine poll, swept a non-conference doubleheader against Saint Michael’s College at Dr. Arthur and Martha Pappas Field this afternoon. The Ravens rolled to a 12-3 victory in game one, before cruising to a 20-2 decision in the nightcap.

Sophomore Kevin Rivers (Bristol, Conn./Bristol Eastern) was a combined 4-for-6 with three runs scored, two doubles, a home run and five RBI to lead Franklin Pierce. Junior Cliff Hicks (Merrimack, N.H./Merrimack) hit a combined 4-for-7 with a home run and four RBI.

Senior Greg McLaughlin (Rutland, Vt./Rutland) hit 2-for-7 with three RBI to lead Saint Michael’s on the afternoon.


Franklin Pierce 12, Saint Michael’s 3 (Game 1)

Franklin Pierce took advantage of four Saint Michael’s errors as half of the Ravens runs were unearned in a 12-3 victory in game one today.

Kevin Rivers led Franklin Pierce’s 13-hit attack, going 3-for-4 with a pair of doubles, a home run, two runs scored and five RBI. Junior Steve Carr (Nahant, Mass./St. Mary’s) was 1-for-2 with a pair of walks, a homer and three RBI, while senior Kevin Renaud (Southbridge, Mass./Southbridge) finished 1-for-3 with two stolen bases, an RBI and three runs scored. Junior Ted Lerud (Hampden, Mass./Minnechaug Regional) belted his first career home run, a two-run shot, in the eighth.

Sophomore right-hander Heath Wasylow (Rehoboth, Mass./Dighton-Rehoboth) picked up the win (2-0) on the mound for the Ravens, allowing three runs, two earned, on six hits with five strikeouts and no walks over seven innings.

Senior John Kunkel (Loudonville, N.Y./Christian Brothers Academy) was 2-for-4 with a home run and two RBI for Saint Michael’s. Classmate Evan Grenier (Bridgeport, Conn./Notre Dame) hit 2-for-3 with a run scored, while Greg McLaughlin chipped in an RBI.

Sophomore right-hander Mike McDonough (East Hampton, Conn./East Hampton) suffered the loss on the mound for the Purple Knights (0-3), yielding ten runs, just four earned, on 11 hits with four strikeouts and two walks in six innings.

Franklin Pierce scored three runs in the second, third and fifth innings to stake out a 9-1 lead and never looked back. Carr delivered a three-run home run in the second. McLaughlin singled up the middle to pull Saint Michael’s within 3-1 in the top of the third, but the Ravens plated three more in the home half. Freshman Derek Ingui (Sterling, Mass./Wachusett Regional) posted a sacrifice fly and Rivers collected a two-run double down the left field line. Renaud had an RBI single in the fifth, before Rivers followed with a two-run homer in the Ravens three-run fifth.


Franklin Pierce 20, Saint Michael’s 2 (Game 2)

Franklin Pierce scored four times in the first, led 15-1 after four innings and never looked back in completing the sweep with a 20-2 victory in the nightcap.

Junior preseason All-American Scott Savastano (Plymouth, Mass./Plymouth North) led Franklin Pierce by hitting 3-for-4 with his team-leading seventh home run of the season and six RBI. Cliff Hicks was 2-for-3 with a stolen base, homer and four RBI, while freshman Kyle Cabral (New Bedford, N.H./New Bedford) finished 2-for-3 with two RBI and three runs scored. Steve Carr batted 2-for-4 with a double and run scored, while senior Matt Anderson (Medford, Mass./Medford) chipped in with a home run.

Sophomore right-hander Tyler Sykes (Sterling, Mass./St. Peter-Marian) collected his first career win, allowing two earned runs on three hits with seven strikeouts and a walk over five innings. Junior Vinny Gemma (Revere, Mass./St. Johns Prep) struck out seven in three hitless innings of relief work.

Greg McLaughlin was 1-for-2 with two RBI for Saint Michael’s, while sophomore Jeff McLaughlin (Rutland, Vt./Rutland) finished 1-for-3 with a run scored.

Sophomore right-hander Mike Robert (Wellesley, Mass./Wellesley) took the loss (1-1) for the Purple Knights, yielding nine runs, six earned, on eight hits with a strikeout and four walks in three innings.

Two-run homers from Hicks and Anderson resulted in a four-run first for Franklin Pierce. Hicks added a two-run single in the third, while Cabral and Savastano each chipped in RBI singles in the Ravens four-run frame. Savastano highlighted a six-run fourth for the hosts with a grand slam.

Franklin Pierce (20-3, 5-1 NE-10) continues its seven-game home stand tomorrow when it hosts Merrimack College in a Northeast-10 Conference contest at 3:30 p.m. Saint Michael’s (2-12) hosts Lyndon State College for a doubleheader tomorrow at 3 p.m.