Graduate student tosses six-hitter as Ravens extend season

Box Score

CARY, N.C. (May 25, 2010) – Graduate student right-hander Mike Adams (Orchard Park, N.Y.) threw a complete game six-hitter on Tuesday afternoon to lead the No. 13/24 nationally ranked and East Region champion Franklin Pierce University baseball team to a 6-2 victory over No. 11/15 and Central Region champion Minnesota State, Mankato in an elimination game on the fourth day of the NCAA Championship National Finals, hosted by Mount Olive at the USA Baseball National Training Complex.

With the win, Franklin Pierce improves to 42-16-1 and advances to play at 7 p.m. Wednesday against the loser of Tuesday night's game between Kutztown and Southern Indiana. With the loss, Minnesota State, Mankato concludes its season at 44-16.

The five strikeouts ran Adams' career total to 261, establishing a new program record at Franklin Pierce. The previous record was 257, set by Matt Weagle from 2001 through 2003.

Minnesota State, Mankato opened the scoring with a run in the top of the second and doubled it to 2-0 with another in the top of the fourth. In the second, junior center fielder Danny Miller led off with a single to center and moved to third on an errant pickoff attempt. He later moved to third on a sacrifice and scored on an RBI groundout by sophomore designated hitter Patrick Dockendorf.

In the fourth, Miller and Dockendorf teamed up again, as Miller started things with a one-out single to left this time. After moving to second on an infield single by junior right fielder Aaron Berner, Miller scored on a base hit back through the middle by Dockendorf. However, that would be the entirety of the offense for the Mavericks on the day, as they would collect just two more hits the rest of the way.

Franklin Pierce would respond with a pair of runs of its own in the home half of the fourth to knot the game at 2-2. Senior right fielder Phil Hendricks (Pittsfield, Maine) led off and dumped a single into right field. Junior third baseman Derek Ingui (Sterling, Mass.) followed and clubbed his fifth home run of the season over the fence in left to tie the game.

Franklin Pierce took its first lead of the National Finals at 5-2 with three runs in the bottom of the sixth inning. Sophomore catcher Mike Dowd (East Bridgewater, Mass.) started things with a leadoff double down the left-field line and moved to third when Hendricks punched a single into center. Ingui then drove in his third run of the game with a groundball single through the left side. Two batters later, junior designated hitter Eric Pearson (Webster, N.H.) bounced a single of his own through the left side to score Hendricks. Ingui moved to third on a wild pitch and would later score on a sacrifice fly to left by freshman center fielder Nick LaCroix (Grafton, Mass.).

The Ravens would tack on an insurance run in the bottom of the seventh on an RBI double into the gap in left-center by Hendricks.

Adams loaded the bases in the ninth on a walk and a pair of hit batsmen, but would get sophomore second baseman Matt Kuchenbecker to fly out to LaCroix in center to finish the game and give Franklin Pierce its first win at the National Finals since 2006.

Adams went the distance to pick up the win (7-1) on the mound for Franklin Pierce. He allowed two runs on six hits, walked one and struck out five.

Senior right-hander Patrick Lenton started and took the loss (9-4) on the hill for Minnesota State, Mankato. Over five-plus innings, he allowed five runs on seven hits, walked one and struck out three.