Hendricks clubs two-run home run

Box Score

RINDGE, N.H. (March 28, 2010) – Senior right fielder Phil Hendricks (Pittsfield, Maine) went 2-for-5 with a tow-run home run and scored twice on Sunday afternoon, but the No. 16/27 nationally ranked Franklin Pierce University baseball team was defeated, 8-7, by Bentley in Northeast-10 Conference play at Dr. Arthur and Martha Pappas Field. Sophomore left fielder Mark Lane hit 3-for-5 and drove in three runs in the victory for Bentley.

With the loss, Franklin Pierce falls to 13-8 (3-2 Northeast-10), while Bentley improves to 11-12 (6-2 Northeast-10) with the victory.

Bentley opened the scoring with a run in the top of the second inning. Sophomore catcher Kevin Korwek led off with a single into right field and moved around to third on a single to right-center by senior center fielder Brett Damato. Korwek then scored on an RBI single to center by Lane.

Franklin Pierce answered with a run of its own in the home half of the second. Hendricks led off and clubbed a double over the head of the left fielder. He then moved to third on a single to right by freshman center fielder Nick LaCroix (Grafton, Mass.) and scored when graduate student first baseman Mike Augustine (Kingston, N.Y.) grounded into a double play.

Bentley reclaimed the lead at 5-1 with four runs in the top of the third inning. Junior third baseman Ross Curley led off, was hit by a pitch and moved to second on a groundout by senior second baseman Charlie Pagliarulo. Curley then moved to third on a single into right by junior right fielder James Roche and scored when junior designated hitter Chris Hardy reached first while Roche was erased at second. Korwek and Damato followed with back-to-back singles to bring home Hardy with the second run of the inning. The runners moved to second and third on the throw to try to retire Hardy at the plate, and Lane came up with the big blow of the inning, a two-run single back through the middle.

Franklin Pierce quickly closed the gap to two runs at 5-3 with a pair of runs in the bottom of the third. Senior second baseman Cody Kauffman (Blue Bell, Pa.), junior third baseman Derek Ingui (Sterling, Mass.) and sophomore catcher Mike Dowd (East Bridgewater, Mass.) kicked off the inning with three singles in a row to load the bases. Junior left fielder Mike Munoz (Bronx, N.Y.) then hit a ground ball to shortstop that went right between the legs of Bentley sophomore Vinnie Eruzione. Munoz picked up an RBI as Kauffman scored, and Ingui came around to score an unearned run on the error.

The Ravens continued to narrow the gap with a run in the bottom of the fourth to trim the lead to 5-4. With one out, Augustine reached on an infield single to shortstop, took second on a groundout and scored when Kauffman pumped a triple into the gap in right-center.

Bentley pushed the lead all the way to 8-4 with three runs in the top of the seventh inning. Pagliarulo led off with an infield single and beat the throw to second on a ground ball to the left side by Roche. Hardy followed with a double into the left-field corner that brought home both runs and made it a 7-3 lead. Hardy moved to third on a groundout and scored on an RBI grounder to short Damato.

Franklin Pierce answered with three runs of its own in the home half of the seventh to close the gap to a run at 8-7. Dowd led off and drilled a triple into the gap in right-center. He scored two batters later when sophomore designated hitter Isaac Wenrich (Westlawn, Pa.) pushed an RBI single into left field. Wenrich in turn scored on a two-run home run just beyond the fence in left-center by Hendricks, his second of the season. However, the Ravens would muster juts one baserunner over the final 2.2 innings, as they went on to lose by one run.

Senior right-hander Heath Wasylow (Rehoboth, Mass.) started on the mound and took the loss (0-3) for Franklin Pierce. Over 2.2 innings, he allowed five runs on eight hits and hit a batter.

Senior left-hander Matt Boudrow started and picked up the win (1-3) on the rubber for Bentley. In 6.1 innings of work, he surrendered seven runs (six earned) on 11 hits, walked one and struck out five. Senior right-hander Dean Sandonato did not allow a run over the final 2.2 innings, gave up one hit and struck out three to tally his first save of the season.

The Ravens return to the field on Wednesday, March 31, when they make the return trip to Bentley in a Northeast-10 Conference contest. First pitch is scheduled for 1 p.m. at Dr. Arthur and Martha Pappas Field in Rindge, N.H.