Mathieu brings home four in 12-run ninth, including first career homer

Box Score: Game One
Box Score: Game Two 

RINDGE, N.H. (April 3, 2011) – Senior designated hitter Derek Ingui (Sterling, Mass.) went 3-for-4 with a double, drove in six runs and scored four times in the second game on Sunday afternoon to lead the No. 15/19 nationally ranked Franklin Pierce University baseball team to an 18-5 win over Assumption in Northeast-10 Conference play at Dr. Arthur and Martha Pappas Field. In the first game, four Franklin Pierce errors led to five unearned runs as Assumption posted a 6-2 win.

With the split, Franklin Pierce moves to 22-6 (8-2 Northeast-10), while Assumption goes to 6-14 (3-3 Northeast-10). Sunday's games were originally scheduled to be played at Assumption, but were moved due to wintry weather earlier in the week. As such, Assumption served as the home team and batted second throughout both games.

In the first game, Assumption opened the scoring with a run in the bottom of the fifth inning. With one out, senior left fielder Wally Derosier clubbed a solo home run over the right-field fence, his first round-tripper of the season.

Assumption broke things open with five unearned runs as the Ravens defense imploded in the bottom of the sixth inning. The Greyhounds sent 11 men to plate in the inning and picked up three singles while the Franklin Pierce defense committed four errors. Both junior second baseman Dan Hennigan (Downingtown, Pa.) and freshman left fielder Calvin Graves (Boston, Mass.) dropped fly balls in the innings, while junior Isaac Wenrich (Westlawn, Pa.) had a ball go between his legs at third base.

Franklin Pierce got on the board with a pair of runs in the top of the seventh inning to create the 6-2 final. Sophomore center fielder Nick LaCroix (Grafton, Mass.) led off with a single to right field and scored three batters later on the first career home run by freshman pinch hitter Ross Lincoln (Woodstock, Conn.), a two-run shot to right-center.

Freshman left-hander Steve Hathaway (Acton, Mass.) took the ball and took the loss (2-1) for Franklin Pierce. Over 5.2 innings of work, he allowed four runs (one earned) on four hits, walked four (one intentionally) and struck out eight.

Senior right-hander Joe Green went to the mound and picked up the win (3-1) for Assumption. In 7.1 innings, he allowed two runs on seven hits, walked three and struck out four.

Franklin Pierce opened the scoring in the second game with a run in the top of the first inning. Senior right fielder Mike Munoz (Bronx, N.Y.) started things with a laser of a one-out double over the head of the left fielder. Two batters later, Ingui torched a double off the right-field fence to drive home the run.

Assumption answered with a run in the bottom half of the first to tie the game at 1-1. Senior shortstop Shawn Frigon led off with a single through the left side of the infield, moved to second on a groundout and scored on an RBI single back up the middle by junior third baseman Travis Smith.

The Ravens jumped back to a 3-1 lead with a pair of runs in the top of the third. Hennigan started things by pushing a one-out double down the right-field line and scored when Munoz followed with an RBI double the other way into the gap in right-center. Munoz would move to third on a single to center by junior catcher Mike Dowd (East Bridgewater, Mass.) and score on a sacrifice fly to right by Ingui.

Assumption answered with three unearned runs in the bottom half of the third to take its only lead of the game at 4-3. Frigon led off with a single back through the middle, went to second on a sacrifice bunt and moved to third when sophomore second baseman Shane Keddy reached on an error. Frigon scored two batters later on an RBI infield single by junior catcher Tim Quinn that also moved Keddy to second. Keddy and Quinn would both score when senior right fielder Mike Foley clubbed an RBI triple into the gap in left-center.

Franklin Pierce tied the game with a run in the fifth and took the lead for good with a run in the sixth before scoring again in the seventh to make it 6-4. In the fifth, Dowd doubled to left and scored on a single back up the middle by Ingui. In the sixth, LaCroix reached on an error, moved to second on a sacrifice bunt and scored on an RBI single through the left side by sophomore third baseman Dan Kemp (Sturbridge, Mass.). In the seventh, Hennigan walked, stole second, moved to third on a Dowd infield single and scored on a sacrifice fly by Ingui.

Assumption briefly pulled within a run at 6-5 with a run in the bottom half of the seventh. Frigon led off with a single to center, stole second, moved to third on a Keddy infield single and later stole home on a first-and-third delayed double steal.

The Ravens clung to the one-run lead for an inning and then blew the game wide open with 12 runs in the top of the ninth inning to create the 18-5 final. Franklin Pierce sent 16 men to the plate in the inning and chalked up nine hits. Freshman first baseman Zach Mathieu (Derry, N.H.) had the biggest blow of the inning, when he smoked his first career home run, a three-run shot to left-center. He drove in four runs total in the inning, as he had an RBI single earlier in the frame. Also in the ninth, Lincoln knocked a two-run double into the gap in left center and Ingui hit a two-run single back through the middle of the diamond.

Junior left-hander Gregg Downing (Queens, N.Y.) started the second game and picked up the win (3-0) on the mound for the Ravens. Over 6.2 innings, he allowed five runs (two earned) on eight hits, walked one, hit a batter and struck out 11. Despite the 18-5 final, it was a 6-5 Franklin Pierce lead when junior right-hander Nate Sermini (Great Barrington, Mass.) entered the game with two outs in the seventh. Thus, he wound up with his first career save after throwing 2.1 scoreless innings to finish the game. He allowed one hit, walked two and struck out two.

Senior right-hander Zach Jacques started for Assumption and took the loss (1-2). In 5.1 innings on the rubber, he allowed five runs (four earned) on nine hits, did not issue a walk and struck out two.

The Ravens return to the field on Tuesday, April 5, when they travel to Merrimack for a Northeast-10 Conference contest. First pitch is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. at Warrior Baseball Diamond in North Andover, Mass.

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).