LaCroix, Pearson, Kauffman drive home runs in go-ahead rally

Box Score

RINDGE, N.H. (April 22, 2010) – Freshman center fielder Nick LaCroix (Grafton, Mass.), junior designated hitter Eric Pearson (Webster, N.H.) and senior second baseman Cody Kauffman (Blue Bell, Pa.) each drove home a run in a three-run fifth inning on Thursday night to propel the No. 30 nationally ranked Franklin Pierce University baseball team to a 5-1 victory over Stonehill in Northeast-10 Conference play. Freshman right-hander Joe Flynn (Plymouth, Mass.) struck out eight over seven innings while picking up the win for Franklin Pierce.

With the victory, Franklin Pierce improves to 28-11-1 (14-5-1 Northeast-10), while Stonehill falls to 18-16 (11-9 Northeast-10) with the loss.

Stonehill opened the scoring with a run in the top of the fourth inning. With two outs, sophomore left fielder Mike Magnussen started things with a single through the right side of the infield. He would come all the way around to score when senior center fielder Rob Von Stein followed and sliced an RBI triple down the right-field line.

After collecting only one hit through the first four innings, the Franklin Pierce bats woke up in the home half of the fifth, as the Ravens collected three runs on four hits to jump to a 3-1 lead which they would never relinquish. Senior right fielder Phil Hendricks (Pittsfield, Maine) led off the inning, turned on a pitch and pulled a double into the left-center field gap. LaCroix followed and stung a ball over the head of the center fielder for a double of his own to drive home Hendricks. After a flyout to deep center moved LaCroix to third, Pearson drove in the second run of the inning when he pulled a single through the left side of the infield. Pearson was awarded second on a balk, stole third and eventually scored on a double into the gap in left-center by Kauffman.

The Ravens tacked on a pair of insurance runs in the bottom of the eighth inning to create the 5-1 final. Junior third baseman Derek Ingui (Sterling, Mass.) led off the inning with a single through the left side of the infield and moved around to third when junior left fielder Mike Munoz (Bronx, N.Y.) pulled a line-drive single to left field. Munoz wound up on second on the play, as the throw from the left fielder missed both the cutoff man and the second baseman. Ingui would score later in the inning on a wild pitch which also moved Munoz to third. Graduate student first baseman Mike Augustine (Kingston, N.Y.) was next and lifted a high popup to shallow right field. Stonehill senior second baseman Mitch Davis made the catch while backpedaling, which allowed Munoz to tag up and score from third.

Flynn started on the mound and picked up the win (5-2) for Franklin Pierce. Over seven innings, he allowed one run on nine hits, did not issue a walk, threw a wild pitch and struck out eight.

Sophomore left-hander Michael White took the ball and also took the loss (3-2) for Stonehill. In seven innings on the rubber, he allowed three runs on six hits, walked one, balked once and struck out seven.

The Ravens return to the field on Saturday, April 24, when they remain home to host Assumption in a Northeast-10 Conference doubleheader. First pitch is scheduled for noon at Dr. Arthur and Martha Pappas Field.