Dowd hits two-run single in third

BOCA RATON, Fla. (March 16, 2011) – Junior left-hander Gregg Downing (Queens, N.Y.) allowed just four hits and struck out seven over eight-plus innings on Wednesday afternoon to lead the No. 8/10 nationally ranked Franklin Pierce University baseball team to a 3-1 road win over Lynn in non-conference play at McCusker Sports Complex. Junior catcher Mike Dowd (East Bridgewater, Mass.) hit a key two-run double for Franklin Pierce in the third inning.

With the win, Franklin Pierce improves to 10-2 (0-0 Northeast-10), while Lynn falls to 13-10 (2-1 Sunshine State). The teams have now played in each of the last five seasons, with Wednesday marking the first victory for the Ravens against the Fighting Knights.

The Ravens opened the scoring with a pair of runs in the top of the third inning. Senior right fielder Mike Munoz (Bronx, N.Y.) led off the inning with a walk, moved to second two batters later on a single back through the middle of the infield by junior second baseman Dan Hennigan (Downingtown, Pa.) and took third when junior third baseman Isaac Wenrich (Westlawn, Pa.) pulled a single to right field to load the bases. Dowd was next, and he dropped a two-run single inside the right-field line to drive home Munoz and Hennigan.

Franklin Pierce added a run in the fifth to push the lead to 3-0. Once again, Munoz worked a lead-off walk and, this time around, sophomore shortstop Dan Kemp (Sturbridge, Mass.) and Hennigan followed with back-to-back bunt singles to load up the bases. Wenrich followed with a sacrifice fly to center field to drive home his 10th run of the season. The Ravens had a chance to blow the game open later in the inning, but Lynn junior left-hander Collin McGowan worked out of a bases-loaded, one-out situation with a strikeout and a groundout.

Meanwhile, Downing shut down Lynn on the mound. Over the first eight innings, he did not allow a run while surrendering only two hits and striking out seven on his way to earning the win (1-0).

Downing ran into trouble to start the ninth inning, as junior center fielder Austin Smith led off with a single down the left-field line. Junior pinch hitter Wes Soto followed with a single through the left side to move Smith around to third and chase Downing from the game in favor of senior right-hander Rob Nicholas (Southborough, Mass.). Nicholas quickly quieted things down with a strikeout and a flyout to shallow right before senior left fielder Richie McVey hit an RBI single through the right side to score Smith and make it a 3-1 game. Nicholas then got junior third baseman Eric Herrera to ground out to Wenrich at first to end the ballgame and pick up his first save of the season.

McGowan started on the hill and took the loss (0-3) for Lynn. Over five-plus innings of work, he allowed three runs on six hits, walked five and struck out two.

The Ravens return to the field on Thursday, March 17, when they face St. Thomas Aquinas in a neutral-site, non-conference doubleheader. First pitch is scheduled for 9 a.m. at NSU Baseball Complex on the campus of Nova Southeastern University in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

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).