Rivers leads attack by driving in three runs

Game One Box Score
Game Two Box Score

LANTANA, Fla. (March 13, 2009) – The No. 10 nationally-ranked Franklin Pierce University baseball team opened its spring trip to Florida on Friday with a pair of neutral-site, non-conference losses to Dominican (N.Y.) at Santaluces Sportsplex. The Ravens dropped the first game, 1-0, on an unearned run in the final inning and then lost the second game, 9-2.

Senior right-hander Mike Adams (Orchard Park, N.Y./Orchard Park) started and put together a solid outing for the Ravens in the first game, but took the loss (1-2). Over 6.2 innings, he allowed just two hits, one unearned run, walked three and recorded a career-high 13 strikeouts.

Dominican scored the only run of the game on a passed ball with two outs in the bottom of the seventh. Sophomore left-hander Jack Crawford (Montgomery, N.Y./Valley Central) threw a two-hit shutout to pick up the win for the Chargers.

In the second game, Franklin Pierce jumped to a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning. Freshman third baseman Ben Benigno (Trumbull, Conn./Trumbull) worked a walk and later came all the way around to score on an RBI triple by sophomore outfielder Derek Ingui (Sterling, Mass./Wachusett Regional). Dominican would tie the game with a run in the top of the second.

The Ravens tallied their other run in the bottom of the fifth. Junior second baseman Matt Deacon (St. Albert, Alberta/Southern Idaho) singled and moved to second on a sacrifice by sophomore shortstop Jose Macias (Bronx, N.Y./Monroe College). Fifth-year outfielder Cliff Hicks (Merrimack, N.H./Merrimack HS) followed with an RBI single.

Meanwhile, Dominican scored three runs in the fifth, two in the sixth and three in the seventh to come away with the 9-2 victory and the doubleheader sweep.

Senior left-hander Tom Cote (Swanzey, N.H./Univ. of Massachusetts) took the loss (1-1) in the second game for Franklin Pierce. Over 5.2 innings, he gave up six runs (four earned) on seven hits, walked two and struck out six.

The Ravens (4-3, 0-0 Norteast-10) return to the field on Saturday, March 14, for a pair of neutral-site, non-conference games at Santaluces Sportsplex. The Ravens will take on Caldwell at 9 a.m. before playing Felician at 12:15 p.m. Franklin Pierce’s first home game is scheduled for Thursday, March 26 against Southern New Hampshire at 3 p.m. Dominican (3-2, 0-0 Central Atlantic) returns to action on March 14 against Massachusetts Lowell.