Four Ravens collect at least two hits in second game

Game One Box Score
Game Two Box Score

GARDEN CITY, N.Y. (March 7, 2010) – Sophomore catcher Mike Dowd (East Bridgewater, Mass.) went 2-for-4 with a walk, drove in two runs and scored twice to lead the No. 15/17 nationally ranked Franklin Pierce University baseball team to a 9-1 victory over Adelphi in the second game of a non-conference doubleheader at William J. Bonomo Memorial Field on Sunday afternoon. Senior right fielder Justin Ciamillo went 3-for-3 and scored a run to lead Adelphi to a 2-0 win in the first game. Both games were of the seven-inning variety.

With the split, Franklin Pierce is now 4-1 (0-0 Northeast-10), while Adelphi moves to 4-2 (0-0 Northeast-10). The two teams will meet again in a Northeast-10 doubleheader in Rindge, N.H. on May 1, the final day of the regular season.

In the first game, Adelphi scored the only two runs of the contest in the bottom of the first inning. With two outs, Ciamillo got things started with an infield single to the left side. He would immediately come around to score as senior third baseman Chris Weidlein pounded an RBI double to left field. Weidlein would later score on a play which saw sophomore designated hitter Justin Farnum reach at second base on an error by Franklin Pierce senior right fielder Phil Hendricks (Pittsfield, Maine).

Both teams managed just five hits in the game, and combined to leave just 13 men on base as the pitchers for both sides kept the offenses at bay. Franklin Pierce let perhaps its best chance to score go by the boards in the top of the first, as it narrowly missed completing a two-out rally of its own. With two outs, junior third baseman Derek Ingui (Sterling, Mass.) reached on a single and moved around to third on a single to center by junior left fielder Mike Munoz (Bronx, N.Y.). However, after Munoz stole second, graduate student first baseman Mike Augustine (Kingston, N.Y.) struck out looking to end the inning.

Senior right-hander Heath Wasylow (Rehoboth, Mass.) started on the mound, tossed a complete game and took the loss (0-1) for Franklin Pierce. Over six innings, he allowed two runs on five hits, walked two and struck out three.

Senior left-hander Mike Scudero pitched the first four innings and picked up the win (1-0) on the hill for Adelphi. He did not allow a run, gave up three hits, walked one and struck out six. Junior right-hander Keith Couch pitched the final three innings without allowing a run, wave up two hits and struck out one to pick up his first save of the season.

After two more scoreless innings to start the second game, the Franklin Pierce offense came to life and opened a 3-0 lead in the top of the third inning. With two outs, Dowd worked a walk and moved to second when Munoz knocked a single into center field. After Hendricks was hit by a pitch to load the bases, sophomore designated hitter Tim Quinn (Paxton, Mass.) worked a walk to drive home Dowd and keep the bases loaded. Freshman center fielder Nick LaCroix (Grafton, Mass.) followed and poked a two-run single into center field to score Munoz and Hendricks.

The Ravens added on two more runs in the top of the fourth to push the lead to 5-0. Again things started with two outs, as Ingui worked a walk which chased the Adelphi starter, junior right-hander Jonathan Gonzalez, from the game in favor of senior left-hander Teddy Rohrs. Dowd greeted Rohrs with a single, and runners were quickly moved to second and third as Rohrs balked. Munoz followed and reached on an error by the first baseman on a play which saw both Ingui and Dowd come in to score.

Adelphi got its only run of the contest in the bottom half of the fourth to briefly cut the lead to 5-1. With two outs, freshman second baseman Nick Pomo-Roman singled, moved to second on a passed ball and came around to score on an RBI single by sophomore catcher T.J. Humrich.

Franklin Pierce proceeded to break the game open with three runs in the top of the fifth, which gave them an 8-1 lead. With one out, freshman shortstop Dan Kemp (Sturbridge, Mass.) worked a walk and moved to second on a single by Augustine. Two batters later, Ingui worked a walk to load the bases and Dowd followed with a two-run single to score Kemp and Augustine. Ingui would also score on the play, thanks to an error by Adelphi junior center fielder Trevor Thorstensen.

The Ravens added an insurance run when Hendricks scored on an RBI single by Augustine in the top of the sixth to create the 9-1 final.

Graduate student right-hander Sean Keeler (Cazenovia, N.Y.) started, tossed 4.2 innings and picked up the win (1-0) on the hill in the second game for Franklin Pierce. He allowed one run on five hits, walked two and struck out three.

Gonzalez started, went 3.2 innings and took the loss (0-1) on the mound for Adelphi. He surrendered four runs on five hits, walked four, hit a batter and struck out three.

The Ravens return to the field on Friday, March 12, when they meet Bloomfield in a neutral-site, non-conference contest, the first game of a 12-game Spring Break trip. First pitch is scheduled for 10:30 a.m. at Santaluces Sports Complex in Lantana, Fla. Franklin Pierce next plays at home against Saint Anselm on Thursday, March 25 at 3:30 p.m.