Ingui records three hits, drives in three runs

Game One Box Score
Game Two Box Score

NEW HAVEN, Conn. (April 5, 2009) – Sophomore designated hitter Derek Ingui (Sterling, Mass./Wachusett Regional) went 2-for-5 with a home run and drove in three runs on Sunday afternoon to lead the Franklin Pierce University baseball team to a 7-4 win over Southern Connecticut State in the first game of a Northeast-10 Conference doubleheader at The Ballpark at SCSU. Franklin Pierce later lost the second game, 4-3, on a walk-off sacrifice fly by SCSU freshman first baseman Ryan Geffert (Plymouth, Pa./Wyoming Valley West).

Franklin Pierce struck first in the opening game with three runs in the top of the second inning. Senior left fielder Ted Lerud (Hampden, Mass./Minnechaug Regional) led off with a single to right-center and moved to second when fifth-year center fielder Cliff Hicks (Merrimack, N.H./Merrimack HS) pushed a bunt single past the pitcher on the right side of the mound. After a walk to sophomore second baseman Cody Kauffman (Blue Bell, Pa./Univ. of Massachusetts) loaded the bases, sophomore shortstop Jose Macias (Bronx, N.Y./Monroe College) worked a walk as well to drive home Lerud with the game’s first run. Ingui followed and bounced a two-run single back up the middle to give the Ravens a 3-0 lead.

Franklin Pierce extended the lead to 5-0 with a pair of runs in the top of the third inning. With one out, Lerud walked, took second on a wild pitch and moved to third on a single to right field by Hicks. After a walk to freshman third baseman Ben Benigno (Trumbull, Conn./Trumbull) loaded the bases, senior first baseman Steve Carr (Nahant, Mass./Lake City CC) lifted a sacrifice fly to right to bring home Lerud from third. Hicks moved to third on the sacrifice fly and would score when Benigno got caught in a rundown between first and second in a stolen-base attempt.

Southern Connecticut State trimmed the lead to 5-4 with five runs in the bottom of the seventh inning. With one out, junior second baseman Greg Malen (Stamford, Conn./Salisbury State) reached on an infield single and came all the way around to score when sophomore catcher Nick DeProspo (Worcester, Mass./St. John’s HS) knocked a double into the gap in right-center field. DeProspo then moved to third as senior centerfielder Karl Derbacher (Northford, Conn./North Branford) reached on a throwing error by the third baseman. Geffert followed and capitalized on the error as he went the other way and poked a three-run home run down the right-field line.

However, Franklin Pierce would add a pair of insurance runs in the top of the ninth and came away with the 7-4 victory. Ingui led off and drove a solo home run, his third on the season and third in as many games, over the scoreboard in left field. Freshman catcher Mike Dowd (East Bridgewater, Mass./Cardinal Spellman) then singled to right field and moved over to third as Lerud reached on a bunt single and SCSU’s DeProspo threw the ball away trying to record the out at first. Hicks then lifted a sacrifice fly into foul territory in right field to drive home Dowd.

Junior right-hander Kyle Vazquez (Berlin, Conn./Berlin) started on the mound and picked up the win (5-0) in the first game for Franklin Pierce. In seven innings on the hill, he gave up four runs (one earned) on five hits, walked four, hit a batter and struck out nine. Sophomore right-hander Rob Nicholas (Northboro, Mass./Algonquin Regional) pitched a scoreless final 1.1 innings, gave up one hit and struck out two to tally his second save of the season.

Freshman left-hander Chris Zbin (Colchester, Conn./Bacon Academy) started and took the loss (1-2) on the rubber for Southern Connecticut State. In three innings of work, he surrendered five runs on five hits, walked four, threw a wild pitch and struck out three.

In the second game, SCSU opened the scoring with a run in the bottom of the first inning. With one out, DeProspo drove a double into the gap in left-center and moved to third when a pair of walks loaded the bases. Sophomore right fielder Andrew Babb (Hopkinton, Mass./Ashland) was then hit by a pitch to drive in the run.

The Owls then increased the lead to 2-0 with a run in the bottom of the third inning. With one out, Babb knocked a double to right field, moved to third on a groundout and scored on a single to center field by freshman third baseman A.J. Rouleau (Westborough, Mass./Westborough).

Franklin Pierce tied the game with a pair of runs in the top of the fourth inning. Junior right fielder Kevin Rivers (Bristol, Conn./Bristol Eastern) led off and reached on an infield single deep in the hole at shortstop and moved to second when Lerud reached on a fielding error by Rouleau at third base. Rivers came in to score and Lerud moved around to third when Hicks knocked a double down the right-field line. Lerud then scored to tie the game when an errant pickoff attempt of Hicks at second sailed into center field.

SCSU briefly took a 3-2 lead with a run in the bottom of the fifth inning. Geffert led off and hit a ball in the right-center field gap which rolled all the way to the wall. He then scored on the play when a relay throw by Kauffman overshot third base and ended up out of play.

The Ravens tied the game 3-3 with a run in the top of the sixth. Hicks led off with a bunt single and moved to second when Benigno reached on an error. After a sacrifice moved the runners up a base, Hicks scored on the squeeze play as Kauffman laid down an RBI sacrifice bunt.

However, SCSU would win the game in final at-bat fashion with a run in the bottom of the ninth. Malen led off and drove a double into the gap in left-center which just eluded the grasp of a diving Hicks. Malen moved to third on a sacrifice bunt and would later score when Geffert punched a game-ending sacrifice fly to center field.

Junior left-hander Brian Maloney (Brocton, Mass./Massachusetts Dartmouth) started on the mound for Franklin Pierce in the second game and did not factor in the decision. In three innings on the hill in his first start of the year, he gave up two runs on four hits, walked three, hit a batter and struck out five. Senior left-hander James Palmer (Stoneham, Mass./Stoneham) took the loss (1-3) in relief for the Ravens. In five-plus innings out of the bullpen, he gave up two runs on four hits, walked one and struck out one.

Freshman right-hander Ryan Yerina (Trumbull, Conn./Trumbull) started on the hill and did not factor in the decision for SCSU in the second game. In 8.1 innings on the rubber, he surrendered three runs (two earned) on nine hits, walked one, hit a batter and struck out three. Senior right-hander Justin Cox (Newburgh, N.Y./Newburgh Free Academy) pitched the final two-thirds of an inning, did not allow a hit and issued a walk while picking up the win (2-1) for the Owls.

The Ravens (14-12, 5-3 Northeast-10) return to the field on Monday, April 6, when they travel to American International for a Northeast-10 Conference contest. First pitch is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. at AIC Park in Springfield, Mass. Franklin Pierce next plays at home on April 8 against Southern Connecticut State at 3:30 p.m. Southern Connecticut State (10-13, 5-4 Northeast-10) returns to action on April 7 at Assumption.