Munoz: four hits, five runs scored, five RBI

Box Score: Game One
Box Score: Game Two 

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (April 9, 2011) – Senior right fielder Mike Munoz (Bronx, N.Y.) went 4-for-8 with two home runs and two doubles, drove in five runs and scored five times over two games on Saturday afternoon as the No. 13/21 nationally ranked Franklin Pierce University baseball team swept a Northeast-10 Conference doubleheader from American International at AIC Park. On the afternoon, Franklin Pierce pitching allowed just two runs and struck out 24 over 18 innings.

With the wins, Franklin Pierce improves to 25-6 (11-2 Northeast-10), while American International falls to 9-17 (3-9 Northeast-10). Franklin Pierce won the first game by a score of 7-1 and took the second, 13-1.

In the first game, the Ravens opened with the only three runs they would need in the top of the first inning, as the first three batters of the game each scored. Junior second baseman Dan Hennigan (Downingtown, Pa.) started the inning with a walk and scored when Munoz clubbed his first home run of the day, and third of the season, to left-center field. Junior catcher Mike Dowd (East Bridgewater, Mass.) was next, singled to center field, moved to third on a single into right field by sophomore left fielder Nick LaCroix (Grafton, Mass.) and scored on an RBI single to left-center by sophomore shortstop Dan Kemp (Sturbridge, Mass.).

American International picked up its only run of the ballgame in the bottom of the fourth inning on a two-out solo home run to left-center by sophomore shortstop Chris Amate, his team-leading second of the season.

Franklin Pierce got the run right back in the top of the fifth with an unearned tally. Munoz reached on an error by Amate at shortstop and moved to second on a single back through the middle by Dowd. The duo then attempted a double steal and AIC elected to throw to second base to try to cut down Dowd. However, the throw escaped into center field, allowing Munoz to score and Dowd to move to third.

The Ravens extended the lead to 6-1 with a pair of runs in the top of the seventh. With one out, Hennigan worked a walk, stole second and scored on a double over the head of the center fielder by Munoz, who drove home his third run of the game. Munoz wound up on third as the throw came to the plate in an attempt to throw out Hennigan on the play. After a walk to Dowd, Munoz stole home on a delayed steal in the first-and-third situation.

Franklin Pierce capped the scoring in the first game with a run in the top of the ninth when Down pummeled his third home run of the season, a line-drive shot deep beyond the left-field fence.

Freshman left-hander Steve Hathaway (Acton, Mass.) started on the mound and picked up the win (3-1) in the first game for Franklin Pierce. Over 7.2 innings, he allowed one run on five hits, walked one and struck out nine.

Junior right-hander John Hanna took to the hill and suffered the loss (0-5) for AIC. Over 6.1 innings on the bump, he surrendered six runs (five earned) on seven hits, walked four and struck out two.

In the second game, Franklin Pierce scored one run in both the first and second innings and two runs each in the third and fourth to jump to a 6-0 lead. In the first, Hennigan opened the game with a walk once again, stole second and scored on an RBI single to left by Dowd. In the second, freshman first baseman Zach Mathieu (Derry, N.H.) led off, yanked a double down the left-field line and scored on a single by LaCroix that bounced off of second base and into center field.

In the third, Hennigan led off with a single back through the middle and moved around to third when Munoz pushed a double into the gap in right-center. Hennigan scored on a sacrifice fly to left by Dowd, while Munoz moved to third on the sacrifice fly and scored on a squeeze bunt by senior designated hitter Derek Ingui (Sterling, Mass.). In the fourth, LaCroix led off with his second home run of the season, a towering fly ball just to the left of straightaway center field. Two batters later, freshman third baseman Josh Rouse (Milford, Conn.) pushed a double down the right-field line and scored on an RBI single back through the middle by freshman center fielder Ross Lincoln (Woodstock, Conn.).

AIC got on the board with a run in the bottom of the fifth, when Amate led off with his second solo home run of the day, this one the other way to right-center field.

Franklin Pierce broke the game wide open with four more runs in the top of the seventh to push the lead to 10-1. Munoz had the big blow of the inning, with his second two-run home run of the day to left field, while LaCroix brought home two runs with a double to left-center to cap his 4-for-4 game and drive home his third and fourth runs of the contest.

The Ravens tacked on two in the eighth and one in the ninth to create the 13-1 final. In the eighth, senior pinch hitter Eric Pearson (Webster, N.H.) pulled an RBI single down the left-field line and junior pinch hitter Isaac Wenrich (Westlawn, Pa.) stroked an RBI double to center field. In the ninth, sophomore right fielder Eric Romano (North Branford, Conn.) knocked an RBI single to center.

Junior left-hander Gregg Downing (Queens, N.Y.) took the ball and picked up the win (4-0) for Franklin Pierce in the second game. In six innings, he allowed one run on seven hits, walked two, hit a batter and struck out 10.

Senior right-hander Zach Bunszell started, tossed four innings and took the loss (1-2) for AIC. He allowed six runs on eight hits, walked one and struck out three.

The Ravens return to the field on Sunday, April 10, when they return home to host Southern New Hampshire in a Northeast-10 Conference contest. First pitch is scheduled for 1 p.m. at Dr. Arthur and Martha Pappas Field in Rindge.

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).