Ravens wrap up regular season with fifth straight victory

Box Score

LOWELL, Mass. (May 3, 2009) – Freshman third baseman Ben Benigno (Trumbull, Conn./Trumbull) went 2-for-4 and drove in three runs on Sunday afternoon to lead the Franklin Pierce University baseball team to a 10-3 victory over Massachusetts Lowell in Northeast-10 Conference play at LeLacheur Park. Franklin Pierce has won each of its final five regular season games heading into the postseason, which begins with next weekend’s Northeast-10 Conference Championships.

Franklin Pierce opened the scoring with three unearned runs in the top of the first inning. With one out, freshman catcher Mike Dowd (East Bridgewater, Mass./Cardinal Spellman) popped up a ball that fell untouched for an infield single. Junior right fielder Kevin Rivers (Bristol, Conn./Bristol Eastern) then reached on a fielding error by the second baseman and senior left fielder Ted Lerud (Hampden, Mass./Minnechaug Regional) loaded the bases when he looped a single into shallow right field. Graduate student center fielder Cliff Hicks (Merrimack, N.H./Merrimack HS) followed and bounced into an RBI fielder’s choice which scored Dowd and erased Lerud at second, leaving runners at the corners. After Hicks stole third, Rivers would score on a wild pitch which also moved Hicks to third. Hicks in turn scored on an RBI single into center field by Benigno.

The Ravens added a run in the top of the second inning to push the lead to 4-0. With one out, sophomore designated hitter Derek Ingui (Sterling, Mass./Wachusett Regional) launched a triple to the warning track just to the left of straightaway center field and came home to score when Dowd followed and pushed an RBI single down the right-field line.

Massachusetts Lowell got on the board and cut the lead to 4-3 with three unearned runs in the bottom of the fourth inning. Junior left fielder Peter Onorato (Clarence Center, N.Y./Clarence) led off with a single back up the middle and later moved to second on a single to center field by freshman right fielder Matt Jacobs (Hudson, Mass./Hudson). Sophomore third baseman Mark Wiggins (Rochester, N.H./Spaulding) then hit a groundball in the hole at shortstop and the Ravens attempted to cut down Jacobs at second base. However, the throw sailed into right field, which allowed Onorato to score and moved Wiggins to second. Jacobs and Wiggins would then both score as sophomore shortstop Connor Burnham (Harwich, Mass./Univ. of Massachusetts) reached on a fielding error by the first baseman.

Franklin Pierce answered by sending nine batters to the plate and scoring four times in the top of the fifth inning to extend the lead to 8-3. Lerud led off, lined a single to right-center field and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt. He then took third as Benigno reached on an error by the second baseman. Senior first baseman Steve Carr (Nahant, Mass./Lake City CC) followed and bounced into an RBI fielder’s choice which scored Lerud and saw Benigno erased at second base. A single through the left side by junior second baseman Cody Kauffman (Blue Bell, Pa./Univ. of Massachusetts) and a walk to sophomore shortstop Jose Macias (Bronx, N.Y./Monroe College) then loaded the bases and spelled the end of the day for the Massachusetts Lowell starting pitcher, freshman left-hander Bryant Guilmette (Hopkinton, Mass./Hopkinton). Ingui greeted the reliever, freshman right-hander Dallas Nunes (Easton, Mass./Oliver Ames), by lining a two run single of the glove of a diving second baseman and into right field to drive home Carr and Kauffman. Macias moved to third on the play and scored as Dowd followed and pulled an RBI single into left field.

The Ravens added another run in the top of the sixth inning to push the lead to 9-3. With one out, Hicks reached on an infield single to third base. He then stole both second and third base, which gave him a perfect, 30-for-30 mark in stolen bases on the season. Benigno then lifted a sacrifice fly to right field to drive home the run from third.

Franklin Pierce picked up another run in the top of the eighth to create the 10-3 final. Rivers led off and yanked a double down the left-field line. He moved to third on a single to right field by Lerud and later scored on an RBI single to center by Benigno.

Senior left-hander Tom Cote (Swanzey, N.H./Univ. of Massachusetts) pitched seven innings without allowing an earned run to pick up the win (9-2) on the hill for Franklin Pierce. He gave up three unearned runs on eight hits, walked one and struck out one.

Guilmette started on the mound and took the loss (1-2) for Massachusetts Lowell. Over 4.2 innings, he allowed eight runs (one earned) on seven hits, walked two, hit a batter, threw a wild pitch and struck out two.

Franklin Pierce concludes the regular season at 33-15, including 24-6 in Northeast-10 play, and has captured the conference’s regular season championship. The Ravens receive a first-round bye and will host the double-elimination portion of the Northeast-10 Conference Baseball Championships, held on May 8-10, at Dr. Arthur and Martha Pappas Field in Rindge, N.H. Check back at athletics.franklinpierce.edu for scheduling details as they become available. Massachusetts Lowell (24-19, 15-15 Northeast-10) will be the sixth seed and will play on the road in the first round of the conference championships on May 6.