Five Ravens drive in three runs or more

Box Score

ALBANY, N.Y. (April 2, 2009) – Junior right fielder Kevin Rivers (Bristol, Conn./Bristol Eastern) went 5-for-5 with a home run, drove in four runs and scored three times on Thursday afternoon to lead the Franklin Pierce University baseball team to a 17-5 victory over Saint Rose in Northeast-10 Conference play at Bleecker Stadium. The Raven offense collected 17 hits on the afternoon and five different Franklin Pierce players drove in three or more runs in the game.

Franklin Pierce opened the scoring with two runs in the top of the third inning. Sophomore shortstop Jose Macias (Bronx, N.Y./Monroe College) led off with a single to left-center field and stole second. After walks to sophomore designated hitter Derek Ingui (Sterling, Mass./Wachusett Regional) and freshman catcher Mike Dowd (East Bridgewater, Mass./Cardinal Spellman) loaded the bases, Rivers drove in the first run of the game with a sacrifice fly to center. After a double steal moved the runners to second and third, Ingui scored on another sacrifice fly, this one to right field by fifth-year center fielder Cliff Hicks (Merrimack, N.H./Merrimack HS).

The Ravens then broke the game open and took an 8-0 lead with six runs in the top of the fourth inning. The big blows came on back-to-back-to-back one-out hits from the top third of the lineup. Ingui knocked a two-run double to left-center field and Dowd punched a two-run single into right field. Ingui then followed with a two-run home run, his second of the season.

Saint Rose plated a pair of runs in the bottom of the fifth inning to briefly cut the lead to 8-2. With one out, sophomore right fielder Garret Keenan (Massapequa, N.Y./St. John the Baptist) reached on an infield single and moved to second on an infield single by sophomore third baseman Brian Shannon (Middletown, Mass./Pine Bush). Both runners would later score on a two-run single to left field by freshman second baseman Michael Carbone (Montreal, Quebec).

Franklin Pierce ran the lead to 11-2 with three more runs in the top of the sixth inning. With one out, Ingui reached on an error and stole second before Dowd worked a walk. Rivers followed with a single to center which scored Ingui and pushed Dowd to second. Two batters later, Hicks clubbed a double into the gap in right-center to bring home both Dowd and Rivers.

Saint Rose picked up a run in the bottom half of the sixth when an RBI single by junior catcher Derek Marshall (Malone, N.Y./Franklin Academy) scored junior left fielder Jake Perez (Erie, Pa./Cathedral Prep)

The Ravens would then make it 16-3 as they brought home five more runs in the top of the seventh inning. In the inning, Ingui and Dowd each had RBI singles while senior left fielder Ted Lerud (Hampden, Mass./Minnechaug Regional) provided most of the damage with a three-run home run, his third of the season.

Saint Rose closed out its scoring with a pair of runs in the bottom of the eighth inning on a two run home run by senior first baseman Paul Partridge (Uniontown, Pa./John Jay), his first of the season. Franklin Pierce created the 17-5 final with a run in the top of the ninth inning off an RBI single by Lerud.

Senior left-hander Tom Cote (Swanzey, N.H./Univ. of Massachusetts) started on the mound and picked up the win (3-2) for Franklin Pierce. Over seven innings, he gave up three runs on seven hits, walked one and struck out eight.

Sophomore left-hander David Batchelder (Troy, N.Y./Lansingburgh) started on the hill and took the loss (1-2) for Saint Rose. In 3.1 innings on the rubber, he gave up eight runs (six earned) on six hits, walked four, hit a batter and struck out three.

The Ravens (11-11, 4-2 Northeast-10) return to the field on Saturday, April 4, when they return home to host Saint Michael’s in a non-conference doubleheader. First pitch is scheduled for 1 p.m. at Dr. Arthur and Martha Pappas Field in Rindge, N.H. Saint Rose (7-16, 3-6 Northeast-10) returns to action on April 4 at home against Saint Anselm.