Benigno drives in three; Ravens win, 7-0

Box Score

SHIRLEY, N.Y. (February 21, 2009) – Senior right-hander Mike Adams (Orchard Park, N.Y.) opened with five no-hit innings and junior right-hander Kyle Vazquez (Berlin, Conn./Berlin) followed with four more as the duo threw a combined no-hitter on Saturday afternoon to lead the No. 7 nationally ranked Franklin Pierce University baseball team to a 7-0 road victory over Dowling in non-conference play at Golden Lions Field. Freshman third baseman Ben Benigno (Trumbull, Conn./Trumbull) went 3-for-5 and drove in three runs for Franklin Pierce in his collegiate debut.

The Ravens opened the scoring with three runs in the top of the third inning. Sophomore shortstop Jose Macias (Bronx, N.Y./Monroe College) led off the frame, reached on an error and moved to third two batters later on an errant pickoff attempt. Benigno followed with an infield single to third base which plated Macias with the first run of the game. Benigno then moved to second on a groundout and stole third while junior right fielder Kevin Rivers (Bristol, Conn./Bristol Eastern) worked a walk. Rivers stole second and Benigno was subsequently credited with a steal of home on the throw down to second to make it 2-0. Freshman catcher Mike Dowd (East Bridgewater, Mass./Cardinal Spellman) followed with an RBI single to center field which scored Rivers from second.

Franklin Pierce lengthened the lead with four more runs in the top of the fourth. Senior first baseman Randy Bernosky (Port Huron, Mich./Waubonsee CC) led off with a single to center and moved to second as junior second baseman Cody Kauffman (Blue Bell, Pa./Univ. of Mass.) reached on an error after laying down a sacrifice bunt. Macias followed with an infield single to the pitcher which loaded the bases. Bernosky and Kauffman would then score a pair of unearned runs to make it 5-0 as fifth-year center fielder Cliff Hicks (Merrimack, N.H./Merrimack HS) grounded a ball to third but ended up on second base after an error, while Macias moved to third. Benigno came next and completed the scoring with a two-run single to center field.

Meanwhile, Adams cruised through five hitless innings on the mound to earn the victory (1-0) for Franklin Pierce. He would finish with five strikeouts and retired 15 of the 16 batters he faced, the only blemish being a two-out walk in the bottom of the second. Vazquez followed and was equally brilliant over the final four innings to earn his first save of the season. He recorded six strikeouts and retired 12 of 13 batters, with the lone base runner coming via a one-out hit batter in the bottom of the sixth.

The pair combined to throw the fifth no-hitter in Franklin Pierce’s Division II history (1989-present) and the third no-hitter against fellow Division II competition. The most recent no-hitter was thrown by Andrew McNulty in the second game of a doubleheader against Bloomfield on March 16, 2007. It also marked the second time the Ravens have opened the season with a no-hitter, with the first coming from the arm of Chris Shank against Fitchburg State on March 9, 2002. Saturday’s no-hitter was the first time multiple pitchers have combined to throw a no-hitter for Franklin Pierce.

Senior Kevin McCormack (Islip, N.Y./Islip HS) started, threw three innings and took the loss (0-1) on the mound for Dowling. He surrendered three runs (two earned) on five hits, walked two and struck out two.

The Ravens (1-0, 0-0 NE-10) return to the field on Saturday, Feb. 28, when they travel to Adelphi for a non-conference doubleheader. First pitch is scheduled for 11 a.m. at William J. Bonomo Memorial Field in Garden City, N.Y. Franklin Pierce’s first home game is scheduled for Thursday, March 26 against Southern New Hampshire at 3 p.m. Dowling (0-1, 0-0 East Coast) returns to action on Feb. 27 against West Chester.