Adams tosses 9.2 shutout innings, fans seven

Box Score

NORTH ANDOVER, Mass. (April 8, 2010) – Graduate student right-hander Mike Adams (Orchard Park, N.Y.) fired 9.2 shutout innings with seven strikeouts and junior second baseman Jose Macias (Bronx, N.Y.) hit an RBI single in the top of the 12th inning on Thursday afternoon as the Franklin Pierce University baseball team squeaked out a 2-1, 12-inning victory at Merrimack in Northeast-10 Conference play at Warrior Baseball Diamond.

With the win, Franklin Pierce improves to 20-10 (8-4 Northeast-10), while Merrimack falls to 9-8 (5-6 Northeast-10) with the loss.

The story of the day was both starting pitchers. For Franklin Pierce, Adams tossed 9.2 innings of shutout ball, allowed four hits and struck out seven before being lifted in the 10th inning. He retired the first 13 batters he faced before allowing a sixth-inning single. On the other side, Merrimack senior left-hander Ryan O'Rourke fired 11 shutout innings of his own, allowed six hits, walked one and struck out 16 before being taken out to start the 11th inning. Despite their efforts, neither starter would factor in the decision.

After 11 innings of scoreless baseball, Franklin Pierce finally broke the ice with a pair of runs in the top of the 12th inning. Senior right fielder Phil Hendricks (Pittsfield, Maine) led off and worked a walk. Freshman center fielder Nick LaCroix (Grafton, Mass.) then dropped down a sacrifice bunt to move Hendricks to second base, which prompted an intentional walk to junior designated hitter Derek Ingui (Sterling, Mass.). After a groundout moved the runners to second and third, Macias legged out an infield single to the shortstop to drive home Hendricks with the game's first run. Ingui would later score on a delayed steal of home in the first-and-third situation.

Merrimack answered with a run in the home half of the 12th, but could not complete the rally. Freshman left fielder Mark O'Flynn led off with a single down the left-field line and moved all the way around to third on a wild pitch. From there, he scored on an RBI groundout by senior shortstop Brendan Pyburn.

Freshman right-hander Rob Blanc (Sandy Hook, Conn.) picked up the win out of the bullpen for Franklin Pierce. In 1.1 innings of work, he did not allow a baserunner and struck out two. Junior right-hander Rob Nicholas (Southborough, Mass.) pitched the bottom of the 12th inning, allowed one run on one hit, threw a wild pitch and struck out one to tally his sixth save of the season.

Junior right-hander Keith Johansen took the loss (0-1) in relief for Merrimack. He faced one batter, Hendricks in the 11th, walked him and was eventually charged with the go-ahead run.

The Ravens return to the field on Saturday, April 10, when they return home to host American International in a Northeast-10 Conference doubleheader. First pitch is scheduled for noon at Dr. Arthur and Martha Pappas Field in Rindge, N.H.