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Senior strikes out nine; LaCroix scores twice, drives in two

RINDGE, N.H. (April 17, 2011) – Senior left-hander Brian Maloney (Brockton, Mass.) fired eight shutout innings while striking out nine on Sunday afternoon to lead the No. 13/19 nationally ranked Franklin Pierce University baseball team to a 10-0 win over Stonehill in Northeast-10 Conference play at Dr. Arthur and Martha Pappas Field. Sophomore left fielder Nick LaCroix (Grafton, Mass.) went 2-for-2 with a double, scored twice and drove in two runs in the victory for Franklin Pierce.

With the win, Franklin Pierce improves to 29-7 (15-3 Northeast-10), while Stonehill falls to 25-10 (10-5 Northeast-10). Franklin Pierce is now a full game ahead of 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 had its game Sunday against Adelphi rained out and will visit Adelphi (10-5 Northeast-10) on Wednesday, while Franklin Pierce travels to Stonehill.

Maloney was the story of the afternoon in the center of the diamond. He retired the first nine batters he faced before allowing a lead-off, infield single to Stonehill senior second baseman Nick Nardacci to start the fourth inning. Maloney allowed only three runners to reach scoring position over his eight shutout innings of five-hit ball on the way to his seventh win of the season (7-1). He struck out nine while issuing just one walk and allowed only one extra-base hit.

The only trouble Maloney faced came in the top of the sixth inning, when Nardacci led off with a single through the left side of the infield and junior designated hitter Michael White pushed a one-out double into the gap in left-center field to put runners at second and third with one out. Maloney then struck out senior first baseman Angelo Bruno and got junior catcher Rich McHugh to bounce out to shortstop to preserve the shutout. Stonehill would manage just one more base runner the remainder of the afternoon, and he was erased when the next batter grounded into a double play.

Franklin Pierce did all the scoring that it needed in the bottom of the second inning, when it plated the first three runs of the game, though all would be unearned against Stonehill senior right-hander Alex McCormick. Senior designated hitter Derek Ingui (Sterling, Mass.) led off with a single to center field and stole second. After a walk to LaCroix, junior third baseman Isaac Wenrich (Westlawn, Pa.) hit a probable double-play ball to Nardacci at second base. Nardacci could not handle the ball though, and failed to record an out, which loaded the bases for freshman center fielder Ross Lincoln (Woodstock, Conn.). Lincoln hit a sacrifice fly to right to drive home Ingui before sophomore shortstop Dan Kemp (Sturbridge, Mass.) was hit by a pitch to reload the bases and flip the lineup back to the top of the order. Junior second baseman Dan Hennigan (Downingtown, Pa.) dropped a two-run single inside the right-field line to make it a 3-0 game.

The Ravens extended the lead to 5-0 with a pair of runs in the bottom of the fifth. Senior right fielder Mike Munoz (Bronx, N.Y.) led off with a single inside the left-field line and took second as the left fielder mishandled the ball. After an infield single by Ingui and a wild pitch put runners at second and third, freshman first baseman Zach Mathieu (Derry, N.H.) lifted a sacrifice fly to center field to score Munoz. LaCroix followed and pulled an RBI double down the left-field line to plate Ingui.

Franklin Pierce picked up one run in the sixth and four more in the seventh to put the game on ice and create the 10-0 final. In the sixth, Kemp reached on an error and later scored on an RBI single to center by Munoz. In the seventh, Hennigan had an RBI double, while LaCroix and Lincoln both hit RBI singles and Kemp brought in a run with a sacrifice fly.

McCormick tossed six innings and took the loss (3-3) on the rubber for Stonehill. He allowed six runs (two earned) on eight hits, walked three, hit a batter, threw a pair of wild pitches and struck out two.

The Ravens return to the field on Wednesday, April 20, when they make the return trip to Stonehill for a Northeast-10 Conference contest. First pitch is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. at Lou Gorman Field in Easton, 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).