Ingui, Munoz each club two home runs on afternoon

Box Score Game One
Box Score Game Two 

CHESTER, N.Y. (March 4, 2011) – Sophomore right-hander Ryan Thompson (Fort McMurray, Alberta) struck out 13 in a complete-game four-hitter in the second game after senior left-hander Brian Maloney (Brockton, Mass.) chalked up 10 strikeouts over eight shutout innings in the first game on Friday afternoon as the No. 6/10 nationally ranked Franklin Pierce University baseball team swept a non-conference doubleheader from Mercy at The Rock Sports Park.

With the wins, Franklin Pierce improves to 4-0 (0-0 Northeast-10), while Mercy falls to 1-4 (0-0 East Coast). Franklin Pierce won the first game 9-0 before posting a 9-1 victory in the second game. The first contest of the twinbill was a nine-inning game, while the second was a seven-inning affair.

Much like last weekend's season-opening sweep of Dominican, Ravens pitching was the story of the day. After racking up a career-best 16 strikeouts last weekend, Maloney fanned 10 over eight shutout innings on his way to the win (2-0) in the day's first game. The southpaw allowed just two hits and, thanks to a fifth-inning double play, faced only one batter over the minimum in his appearance. A pair of fifth-inning singles were the only baserunners allowed by Franklin Pierce pitching in the first game, as the Mavericks were sent down in order in each of the other eight innings.

With the 10 strikeouts, Maloney pushed his career total to 237, just 24 behind the program's all-time leader, Mike Adams.

Franklin Pierce got the only run it would need in the top of the fourth inning, when senior left fielder Derek Ingui (Sterling, Mass.) clubbed a two-out, solo home run, his first of the season.

The Ravens then broke the game open with five runs in the top of the fifth inning to push the lead to 6-0. Sophomore shortstop Dan Kemp (Sturbridge, Mass.) led off the inning with a single and eventually scored while freshman first baseman Zach Mathieu (Derry, N.H.) reached on an error before Franklin Pierce loaded the bases with nobody out. Freshman center fielder Calvin Graves (Boston, Mass.) promptly unloaded them with a three-run double, while junior catcher Mike Dowd (East Bridgewater, Mass.) later capped the inning by driving in a run with a sacrifice fly.

To create the 9-0 final, Franklin Pierce added a pair of runs on RBI doubles from senior right fielder Mike Munoz (Bronx, N.Y.) and Dowd in the seventh, before freshman left fielder Ross Lincoln (Woodstock, Conn.) capped the game's scoring with a ninth-inning RBI single.

Junior right-hander Billy Dring started and took the loss (0-1) on the mound for Mercy. Over four innings of work, he surrendered six runs on five hits, walked one, hit a batter, balked once and struck out three.

Thompson kept things rolling on the mound for the Ravens by tossing a four-hitter to pick up the win (2-0) in the second game. He allowed one run on four hits, walked two and recorded 13 strikeouts. After allowing the lone Maverick run of the day in the fourth inning, Thompson retired 10 of the final 11 batters he faced on the afternoon.

Franklin Pierce opened the scoring with a run in the top of the second inning. It was Ingui who got things started again, as he led off the frame with his second home run of the afternoon.

The Ravens picked up three more runs in the top of the third to extend the lead to 4-0. With one out, junior second baseman Dan Hennigan (Downingtown, Pa.) and Graves worked back-to-back walks before Munoz hit his first home run of the season.

Mercy scored its only run of the day in the bottom of the fourth inning to briefly cut the lead to 4-1. With two outs, freshman catcher John Casten and sophomore right fielder Andrew Bock both walked, with the former scoring when freshman third baseman Ken Post followed with a single.

Franklin Pierce answered immediately with a run in the top of the fifth inning to reclaim the four-run lead. Hennigan led off with a single, stole second, moved to third on a groundout and later scored while Dowd reached on an error.

The Ravens would add two runs each in the sixth and seventh innings to create the 9-1 final. Hennigan drove in both sixth-inning runs with a double, while Munoz led off the seventh with his second home run of the game. Dowd reached on an error after the Munoz home run and later scored the final run of the game.

Junior right-hander Charles DeHart started on the hill and took the loss (0-1) in the second game for Mercy. Over three innings of work, he allowed four runs on three hits, walked two and struck out two.

The Ravens return to the field on Saturday, March 5, when they travel to C.W. Post for a non-conference doubleheader. First pitch is scheduled for 1 p.m. at Baseball Heaven in Yaphank, N.Y.

For more information on Franklin Pierce Athletics, please visit the official website of Franklin Pierce Athletics (http://athletics.franklinpierce.edu). Also be sure to follow the Ravens through the Department of Athletics' official Facebook page (http://www.facebook.com/FranklinPierceRavens), its YouTube channel (http://www.youtube.com/franklinpiercesports) and its Twitter feed (http://twitter.com/FPUathletics).