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Senior scores four, drives in four; Junior fans 12

Box Score: Game One
Box Score: Game Two

RINDGE, N.H. (April 16, 2011) – Senior designated hitter Derek Ingui (Sterling, Mass.) went 6-for-10 with a double and a triple, scored four runs and drove in four runs over the course of two games on Saturday afternoon to lead the No. 13/19 nationally ranked Franklin Pierce University baseball team to a doubleheader sweep of Pace in Northeast-10 Conference play at Dr. Arthur and Martha Pappas Field. Junior left-hander Gregg Downing (Queens, N.Y.) threw a five-hitter and struck out 12 in the second game.

With the wins, Franklin Pierce improves to 28-7 (14-3 Northeast-10), while Pace falls to 12-19-1 (5-11 Northeast-10). Franklin Pierce won the first game, 14-6, and the second, 6-1.

Franklin Pierce now holds a half-game lead over Southern Connecticut State (13-3 Northeast-10) at the top of the conference standings, though the two teams are even in the loss column. SCSU split a doubleheader at Stonehill on Saturday and hosts Adelphi tomorrow, while the Ravens entertain Stonehill.

In the first game, Pace opened the scoring with a run in the top of the first inning. With one out, senior third baseman Glen Johnson bounced a single back through the middle and went first-to-third on a single to left field by freshman shortstop Steven Martinez. Johnson would score when junior left fielder Tyler Collins bounced into an RBI fielder's choice.

The Ravens would take the lead with five runs in the bottom of the third and broke it open with four more in the fourth to jump to a 9-1 lead. In the third, freshman center fielder Ross Lincoln (Woodstock, Conn.) had the big blow when he clubbed a two-run double into the gap in right-center field. Also in the inning, Ingui and freshman first baseman Zach Mathieu (Derry, N.H.) drove in a run each with singles, while sophomore shortstop Dan Kemp (Sturbridge, Mass.) brought home a run with a sacrifice fly.

It was more of the same for Franklin Pierce in the fourth. This time, junior third baseman Isaac Wenrich (Westlawn, Pa.) did a chunk of the damage when he dumped a two-run single into right-center field. Earlier in the inning, Ingui drove home a run with a sharp single to left field, and sophomore left fielder Nick LaCroix (Grafton, Mass.) brought in a run with a single through the left side of the infield.

Pace got a run back in the top of the fifth and another in the sixth to cut the lead to 9-3. In the fifth, senior right fielder Kenny Wright led off the inning with his second home run of the season, which cut through the wind and got out down the line in right. In the sixth, Martinez led off with a walk and later scored on an RBI single back through the middle by junior first baseman Joe Lombardi.

Franklin Pierce got those two runs, plus another, back in the bottom half of the sixth. Wenrich poked a two-run double the other way to left-center to drive in his third and fourth runs of the game. Later in the inning, junior second baseman Dan Hennigan (Downingtown, Pa.) drove in a run with a single back through the middle.

Pace picked up two runs in the top of the seventh on a two-run double into the gap in right-center by junior second baseman Kyle Turnier to make it a 12-5 game. The Setters would pick up another in the eighth to make it 12-6 when Lombardi was hit by a pitch and later scored on an RBI single to right-center by Wright.

Franklin Pierce tacked on a pair of unearned runs in the bottom half of the eighth to create the 14-6 final on back-to-back RBI doubles by senior right fielder Mike Munoz (Bronx, N.Y.) and junior catcher Mike Dowd (East Bridgewater, Mass.).

Freshman left-hander Steve Hathaway (Acton, Mass.) tossed five-plus innings to pick up the win (4-1) on the mound for Franklin Pierce. He allowed three runs on five hits, walked three and struck out six.

Senior right-hander MacKenzie King started and took the loss (3-2) for Pace. Over 3.2 innings, he was touched up for nine runs on 15 hits and struck out three.

The Ravens picked up right where they left off in the nightcap, as they plated four runs in the bottom of the first to jump to a 4-0 lead. Munoz started things with a one-out single back up the middle and moved to second when Dowd reached on a flyball that was dropped by Pace junior center fielder Chris Roemer. Both runners would score when Ingui followed and torched a ball the other way into the gap in right-center field for a two-run triple. Ingui would later score on an RBI double to right-center by LaCroix.

The triple was the 13th of Ingui's career, which set a new program record.

Franklin Pierce tacked on two more in the bottom of the fifth to extend the lead to 6-0. With one out, Dowd singled back through the middle and moved around to third on a double into the gap in right-center by Ingui. Dowd would score on an RBI single through the right side by Mathieu, while Ingui would score on the same play as the ball got away from the right fielder.

Pace picked up its only run of the game in the top of the eighth to create the 6-1 final. Junior center fielder Patrick Chaputian clubbed a lead-off triple over the head of Lincoln in center field and later scored on a wild pitch.

Downing went to the mound and went the distance in the second game for Franklin Pierce to pick up the win (5-0). He allowed just one run on five hits, walked two, hit a batter and matched his career high with 12 strikeouts. Downing previously struck out 12 earlier this season on a start against Saint Rose on March 26.

Junior Michael Tamburino started and took the loss (0-1) on the rubber for Pace. Over four-plus innings, he allowed four runs (three earned) on five hits, walked two, hit two batters and struck out one.

The Ravens return to the field on Sunday, April 17, when they remain home to host Stonehill in a Northeast-10 Conference contest. First pitch is scheduled for 1 p.m. at Pappas Field.

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).