Ravens steal 13 bases

Box Score

RINDGE, N.H. (March 5, 2010) – Four players drove in two runs apiece on Friday night to lead the No. 15/17 nationally ranked Franklin Pierce University baseball team to an 11-3, season-opening victory over Nyack in non-conference play at Dr. Arthur and Martha Pappas Field. The Ravens racked up 13 stolen bases in the contest, while being caught only twice. Sophomore catcher Mike Dowd (East Bridgewater, Mass.) clubbed a two-run home run in the fourth inning.

With the win, Franklin Pierce opens the season at 1-0 (0-0 Northeast-10), while Nyack opens its campaign at 0-1 (0-0 Central Atlantic)

Franklin Pierce got things started with a pair of runs in the bottom of the second inning. Junior left fielder Mike Munoz (Bronx, N.Y.) and senior right fielder Phil Hendricks (Pittsfield, Maine) knocked a single to center and a double off the right-field fence, respectively, in the first Franklin Pierce at-bat for each of them. Munoz would score from third on a wild pitch which also moved Hendricks over to third, where he would later score from on another wild pitch while freshman center fielder Nick LaCroix (Grafton, Mass.) worked a walk. LaCroix then stole second, stole third and scored on a safety squeeze bunt laid down by senior second baseman Cody Kauffman (Blue Bell, Pa.).

Nyack answered immediately with a pair of unearned runs in the top of the third. Junior first baseman Zach McVadon led off and reached on an error by Franklin Pierce junior third baseman Derek Ingui (Sterling, Mass.). Freshman left fielder Ronald Echavarria followed and dropped a bunt single out in front of the mound and senior shortstop P.J. Rodriguez knocked a single to center to load the bases. Junior second baseman Pierre Crespo then grounded a ball to first base. Ravens graduate student first baseman Mike Augustine (Kingston, N.Y.) came home with the ball, but sophomore catcher Mike Dowd (East Bridgewater, Mass.) couldn’t hang on to the throw, allowing to McVadon to score and the bases to remain loaded. Echavarria would score from third two batters later on a sacrifice fly to center by junior right fielder Michael Frank.

Franklin Pierce pushed the lead to four with three runs in the bottom half of the third. Dowd and Ingui led off the inning with back-to-back walks and moved to second and third on a double steal. Two batters later, Munoz lifted a sacrifice fly to center field to bring home Dowd, push Ingui to third and give Munoz his first Franklin Pierce RBI. Hendricks came up next and pulled a single inside the bag at third to drive home Ingui. After Hendricks stole second and third, freshman shortstop Dan Kemp (Sturbridge, Mass.) worked a walk and Franklin Pierce picked up its sixth run on a delayed double steal.

The Ravens added another pair of runs in the bottom of the fourth to make it 8-2. Kauffman was hit by a pitch after being given new life when Nyack junior catcher Luis Caceras could not handle a foul pop-up on the third-base side of the plate. Two batters later, Dowd took a hanging curveball and knocked the first Ravens home run of the season into the snow bank beyond the left-field fence.

Franklin Pierce tacked on two more in the home half of the fifth to stretch the lead to 10-2. Kemp drove in his first run as a Raven with a double to center which scored Munoz. Kemp would later score himself on an RBI groundout by LaCroix. The Ravens would push across another run in the bottom of the seventh to make 11-2, when Kemp led off with a double down the left-field line and came around to score on a single through the left side by Kauffman.

Nyack picked up an unearned run in the top of the ninth on a triple by McVadon to create the 11-3 final.

Graduate student right-hander Mike Adams (Orchard Park, N.Y.) started on the mound and picked up the win (1-0) for Franklin Pierce. Over six innings, he allowed two unearned runs on five hits, did not issue a walk, threw a wild pitch and struck out seven.

Senior right-hander Eric Lloyd started on the hill and took the loss (0-1) for Nyack. Over three innings, he allowed six runs on four hits, walked five, threw two wild pitches, hit a batter and struck out two.

The Ravens return to the field on Saturday, March 6, when they remain home to host Nyack in a non-conference doubleheader. First pitch is scheduled for 11 a.m. at Dr. Arthur and Martha Pappas Field.