Kemp ends second game with RBI single

Box Score: Game One
Box Score: Game Two 

BOCA RATON, Fla. (March 18, 2011) – Sophomore shortstop Dan Kemp (Sturbridge, Mass.) hit a game-winning single to cap a two-run rally in the bottom of the seventh inning in the second game on Friday afternoon to give the No. 8/10 nationally ranked Franklin Pierce University baseball team a 3-2 win over Molloy in neutral-site, non-conference play at McCusker Sports Complex on the campus of Lynn University. In the first game of the day, Molloy senior catcher Robert LaRusso went 3-for-4 with two doubles and drove home four runs to lead the Lions to a 9-1 victory.

With the split, Franklin Pierce moves to 12-4 (0-0 Northeast-10), while Molloy is now 8-8 (0-0 East Coast). Both of the day's games were seven-inning contests.

Playing as the home team, Molloy jumped out to a 1-0 lead early in the first game with a run in the bottom of the first inning. Freshman center fielder Carlos Guzman led off with a single, moved to second on a groundout and later scored on an RBI single by LaRusso, who recorded his first of three RBI hits in the game.

Three errors proved to be the undoing of the Ravens, as Molloy struck for five more runs, four of them unearned, in the bottom of the second. Sophomore shortstop Kris Kelly had the only RBI hit of the inning with a one-out single. Both junior right fielder Carmine Pellechia and sophomore second baseman Greg Walsh recorded a base hit and scored a run in the inning.

Franklin Pierce got on the board with a run in the top of the fourth inning, though it would be the team's only score of the game. Junior second baseman Dan Hennigan (Downingtown, Pa.) led off the inning with a single and eventually came home to score on an RBI groundout to shortstop by junior catcher Mike Dowd (East Bridgewater, Mass.).

LaRusso did the rest of the damage in the game for Molloy, as he hit run-scoring doubles in both the fourth and sixth innings to create the 9-1 final. The first drove in Pellechia, who had singled earlier in the inning, while the second brought home Pellechia and junior designated hitter Robert Inzerillo, who had walked and singled, respectively.

Sophomore right-hander Joe Flynn (Plymouth, Mass.) started and took the loss (1-2) on the mound for Franklin Pierce. Over 4.1 innings of work, he allowed seven runs (three earned) on eight hits, walked one and struck out seven.

Sophomore right-hander Matthew Metz took the ball and went the distance on the rubber for Molloy to pick up the win (3-1). He allowed one run on three hits, did not issue a walk and struck out one.

Playing as the home team, it was Franklin Pierce that would open the scoring early in the second game with a run in the bottom of the first inning. Hennigan led off the inning with a double, moved to third on a single by senior right fielder Mike Munoz (Bronx, N.Y.) and scored when Dowd lifted a sacrifice fly to center field.

Molloy struck for a run in the top of the fourth to tie the game at 1-1. Pellechia started the frame with a single and would eventually be pushed all the way around to score due to walks to LaRusso, junior third baseman Ryan Akers and Walsh.

The Lions would then strike for a late lead with a run in the top of the seventh inning. Walsh led off, was hit by a pitch and later scored on an RBI single by Kelly.

Franklin Pierce would answer with a rally of its own to win the game with two runs in the bottom half of the inning. Senior designated hitter Derek Ingui (Sterling, Mass.) started things with a bang, as he led off with his first triple of the season. He immediately scored when freshman first baseman Zach Mathieu (Derry, N.H.) followed with an RBI single. Mathieu was lifted for sophomore pinch runner Eric Romano (North Branford, Conn.), who stole second and took third on the same play thanks to a wild throw by LaRusso. Kemp then ended the game with his first hit of the day, an RBI single.

Freshman left-hander Tom MacInnes (Plymouth, Mass.) started the second game and did not factor in the decision on the mound for Franklin Pierce. Over 3.2 innings, he allowed one run on two hits, walked three and struck out one. Fellow freshman southpaw Steven Hathaway (Acton, Mass.) would eventually earn the win (1-0) out of the bullpen for the Ravens. Though he surrendered the single that allowed Molloy to take the lead in the seventh, the runner was inherited by Hathaway, who retired the next two batters, one by way of the strikeout, to end the inning.

Junior left-hander Jason Lembo tossed a complete game and took the loss (1-1) on the hill for Molloy. Over 6.2 innings, he allowed three runs (two earned) on four hits, walked one and struck out two.

The Ravens return to the field on Saturday, March 19, when they wrap up their trip to Florida with a pair of non-conference, neutral-site contests at Santaluces Sports Complex in Lantana, Fla. Franklin Pierce will finish up a three-game set with Molloy at 9 a.m. before squaring off with C.W. Post at noon. The Ravens swept a three-game series from C.W. Post on March 5-6 by a combined score of 25-6.

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).