Rivers knocks in two runs and scores the game-winner in a three-run sixth inning

RINDGE, N.H. (April 25, 2008) – Franklin Pierce University, ranked eighth in this week’s pingbaseball.com and NCBWA Div. II polls and 13th in the latest Collegiate Baseball magazine rankings, scored three runs in the sixth inning as the Ravens defeated the College of Saint Rose by a 4-3 score in Northeast-10 Conference baseball action on Friday night at Dr. Arthur and Martha Pappas Field.

Sophomore Kevin Rivers (Bristol, Conn./Bristol Eastern) was 1-for-3 with two runs batted in and a run scored to lead the Ravens, while senior captain Matt Anderson (Medford, Mass./ Medford) went 2-for-2 with an RBI before being lifted for a pinch runner. Freshman Derek Ingui (Sterling, Mass./Wachusett Regional) also had one hit in four at-bats to extend his hitting streak to 11 games.

Junior All-Region righthander Mike Adams (Orchard Park, N.Y./Orchard Park) played the role of stopper as the Ravens snapped their four-game losing streak, giving up three runs on six hits in eight innings. Adams (7-1) struck out five and walked two in his outing before giving way to senior captain Tyler Bishop (Milford, N.H./University of Tampa), who pitched a perfect ninth to pick up his fourth save of the year.

The Ravens won the game with a three-run sixth inning to turn a 2-1 deficit into a 4-2 advantage. After Anderson and junior preseason All-American Scott Savastano (Plymouth, Mass./Plymouth North) reached base to begin the frame, Saint Rose righthander Nick Polsinelli (Schenectady, N.Y./Guilderland) got two quick outs to almost get out of the frame unscathed. But Rivers followed with a liner to the right-center field gap that scored two runs to put the Ravens back on top and junior Steve Carr (Nahant, Mass./Lake City CC) followed with a pinch-hit single down the right field line to score Rivers with the eventual game-winning run.

Franklin Pierce struck first in the bottom of the first inning after Saint Rose shortstop Grant Smith (Waterford, Pa./Fort LaBoeuf) bobbled a potential inning-ending double-play ball off the bat of Savastano to put two on with one out. Anderson followed with a bloop single to center, scoring senior Kevin Renaud (Southbridge, Mass./Becker College) with the game’s first run.

Saint Rose took the lead in the middle innings, scoring once with two outs in the third and fourth innings. The visitors almost added to their lead in the bottom of the fifth, but Sean Weber (East Shodack, N.Y./Columbia) was cut down rounding third base after a single and the Golden Knights never got another runner to third base the rest of the night.

Franklin Pierce (30-11-1, 15-9-1 NE-10), which reached the 30-win plateau for the seventh consecutive season with the victory, returns home tomorrow for a conference doubleheader against Assumption College beginning at 3 p.m. Saint Rose (13-29, 9-16 NE-10) plays two against Bentley College tomorrow in Waltham, Mass., beginning at noon.