Junior right-hander has 0.34 ERA through 26.2 innings in 2010

Box Score

RINDGE, N.H. (March 25, 2010) – Junior right-hander Jose Macias (Bronx, N.Y.) started, threw eight innings, allowed just one run on four hits, issued one walk and struck out a career-high 13 on Thursday afternoon to lead the No. 16/27 nationally ranked Franklin Pierce University baseball team to an 8-3 victory over Saint Anselm in Franklin Pierce's Northeast-10 Conference opener at Dr. Arthur and Martha Pappas Field. Three different Ravens drove home two runs each in the win.

With the victory, Franklin Pierce improves to 11-6 (1-0 Northeast-10), while Saint Anselm falls to 3-12 (1-4 Northeast-10) with the loss.

Franklin Pierce opened the scoring with five runs in the bottom of the fourth inning to take the lead for good. Sophomore catcher Mike Dowd (East Bridgewater, Mass.) knocked a one-out double the other way into the gap in right-center to start things off. After junior left fielder Mike Munoz (Bronx, N.Y.) worked a walk, sophomore designated hitter Isaac Wenrich (Westlawn, Pa.) followed and poked an RBI double down the left-field line that likely would have brought home two runs, but Munoz was halted at third after the ball slipped under the fence for a ground-rule double.

Graduate student first baseman Mike Augustine (Kingston, N.Y.) followed with the big blow of the inning, a two-run single into center field. Augustine would steal second and later score on a single through the left side by senior right fielder Phil Hendricks (Pittsfield, Maine). Freshman center fielder Nick LaCroix (Grafton, Mass.), who had walked after Augustine, eventually capped the scoring in the inning as he came home on a sacrifice fly to left by freshman shortstop Dan Kemp (Sturbridge, Mass.).

Saint Anselm followed with a run in the top of the fifth to momentarily close the gap to 5-1. With one out, senior designated hitter Matt Stone knocked a pinch-hit single to right and sophomore third baseman Daniel DeCoste and junior center fielder TJ Murphy followed with singles of their own to quickly load the bases. Sophomore shortstop Mike Garczynski then grounded one deep in the hole at shortstop for an RBI single.

The first hit of the inning broke a streak of 16.2 innings without allowing a hit for Macias, which is believed to be a program record. The run in the inning was the first allowed by Macias on the season, after opening with 23 straight scoreless innings.

Franklin Pierce immediately answered with three runs in the bottom of the fifth to open the lead to seven runs at 8-1. Junior third baseman Derek Ingui (Sterling, Mass.) opened the inning with a walk and moved to second on a single into right-center by Dowd. After Munoz bounced a ground ball to third base that did not result in an out, Ingui was erased at the plate on a fielder's choice as Wenrich reached at first. Two batters later, LaCroix punched a two-run single through the left side to make it 7-1. Hendricks followed with his second RBI single of the day.

Saint Anselm pushed across a pair of runs in the top of the ninth inning to create the 8-3 final. With one out, senior pinch hitter Eric Simm worked a walk and moved to second on a single to center by Murphy and freshman right fielder Rett Ostafin walked two batters later to load the bases. The next two batters, junior second baseman Steven Panza and freshman left fielder Joshua Lafond, were each jammed and chopped slow rollers down the third-base line. Each was able to leg out an RBI infield single to draw the Hawks within five runs. Freshman right-hander Rob Blanc (Sandy Hook, Conn.) entered for Franklin Pierce and got the only batter he faced to line out to shortstop to end the game and earn Blanc his first career save.

Macias turned in his third brilliant start on the young season to earn the win (3-0) on the mound for Franklin Pierce. Over eight innings, he allowed one run on six hits and recorded a career-high 13 strikeouts. Through 26.2 innings so far this season, Macias has allowed just one earned run for an earned-run average of 0.34.

Sophomore right-hander Neil Hesek started on the rubber and took the loss (1-2) for Saint Anselm. In five innings of work, he was tagged for eight runs on seven hits, walked three and struck out one. Junior right-hander Kyle Lavin stopped the bleeding from there, as he threw the remaining three innings for the Hawks, did not allow a run, gave up one hit, walked two, hit one batter and struck out two.

The Ravens return to the field on Friday, March 26, when they make the return trip to Saint Anselm for a Northeast-10 Conference contest. First pitch is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. at Sullivan Park in Manchester, N.H. Franklin Pierce next plays at home on Sunday, March 28 against Bentley at 1 p.m.