Lincoln, Ingui each homer; LaCroix scores seven runs

Box Score: Game One
Box Score: Game Two 

RINDGE, N.H. (April 21, 2011) – Freshman center fielder Ross Lincoln (Woodstock, Conn.) went 2-for-3 with a home run and a double and drove in four runs in the first game before senior designated hitter Derek Ingui (Sterling, Mass.) hit 2-for-4 with a triple and a home run, scored three times and drove in four in the second game on Thursday evening as the No. 14/16 nationally ranked Franklin Pierce University baseball team swept Saint Michael's in a non-conference doubleheader at Dr. Arthur and Martha Pappas Field. Sophomore left fielder Nick LaCroix (Grafton, Mass.) hit 4-for-5 with two doubles and three walks and scored seven times in the twinbill.

With the wins, Franklin Pierce improves to 32-7 (16-3 Northeast-10), while Saint Michael's falls to 5-17. Though Saint Michael's is a Northeast-10 member in 17 sports, they currently play as an independent in baseball. The Purple Knights will rejoin the Northeast-10 in baseball for the 2012 season. Franklin Pierce won the first game, 13-2, and the second, a seven-inning affair, 11-1. The two wins pushes the Ravens' winning streak to six games, its fourth winning streak of five games or longer this season.

Franklin Pierce jumped on the board in the first game with two runs in the top of the first inning. Junior second baseman Dan Hennigan (Downingtown, Pa.) led off with a walk, stole second and scored when senior right fielder Mike Munoz (Bronx, N.Y.) slugged a double that one-hopped the fence in straightaway center field. Munoz would move to third on a wild pitch and score on a sacrifice fly to right by junior catcher Mike Dowd (East Bridgewater, Mass.).

The Ravens added a run in both the second and third innings to extend the lead to 4-0. In the second, LaCroix led off and hammered a double off the center-field fence and scored two batters later when Lincoln pulled a double down the right-field line. In the third, Munoz led off with his second double of the first three innings, as this one flew to the warning track in right field and narrowly eluded the grasp of the right fielder. Munoz once again moved to third on a wild pitch and later scored when Ingui bounced into a double play.

Franklin Pierce picked up two more runs in the top of the fourth inning to stretch the lead to 6-0. LaCroix led off with his second double of the game, the other way into the gap in right-center. Two batters later, Lincoln drove home his second and third runs of the afternoon by launching his second home run of the season, which landed on Sodexo Field beyond the right-field fence.

The Ravens broke the game wide open with five more runs in the top of the sixth to run the lead all the way to 11-0. In the inning, Dowd, Ingui and Lincoln all drove in runs with ground balls, while Saint Michael's made three errors in the frame.

Saint Michael's picked up two runs in the bottom half of the sixth, including one on an RBI single by senior second baseman Pete Estes, to cut the lead to 11-2. Franklin Pierce added two runs in the top of the seventh on a sacrifice fly by sophomore shortstop Dan Kemp (Sturbridge, Mass.) and an RBI single by Hennigan to create the 13-2 final.

Freshman left-hander Steve Hathaway (Acton, Mass.) started on the mound and picked up the win (6-1) for Franklin Pierce. Over six innings, he allowed two runs (one earned) on six hits, walked one and struck out 10.

Sophomore right-hander Collin Fishman started, went 5.1 innings and took the loss (1-2) on the rubber for Saint Michael's. He allowed nine runs on seven hits, walked three, hit a batter, threw three wild pitches and struck out five.

Franklin Pierce picked up right where it left off in the second game, as it plated four runs in the top of the first inning. With one out, Munoz reached on an error and went first-to-third on a single to center by Dowd. Both runners would score when Ingui hit a laser of a triple over the head of the center fielder. Ingui would later score from third on an RBI groundout by freshman first baseman Zach Mathieu (Derry, N.H.).

The Ravens added an unearned run in the top of the second to make it 5-0 when Kemp led off, reached at second on a fly ball that was dropped by the center fielder, moved to third on a flyout and scored while Munoz reached on an error by the shortstop.

Saint Michael's picked up a run in the bottom half of the second to trim the lead to 5-1. Sophomore right fielder Jacob Begnoche hit a lead-off triple into the right-field corner and scored three batters later on a line-drive single back through the middle of the diamond by junior third baseman Bryan Geary.

Franklin Pierce added three runs in the fifth and three more in the sixth to create the 11-1 final. Ingui led off the fifth inning and hammered his team-leading ninth home run of the season a shade to the right of center field. It was the 29th home run of Ingui's career, which leaves him one behind Mal Higgins' program record.

Also in the fifth, junior third baseman Isaac Wenrich (Westlawn, Pa.) knocked home a run with a groundout. In the sixth, Ingui picked up an RBI fielder's choice and Kemp added an RBI single.

Junior left-hander Gregg Downing (Queens, N.Y.) started and tossed five innings to pick up the win (6-0) in the second game for Franklin Pierce. He allowed one run on four hits, walked two and struck out eight.

Sophomore left-hander Andrew Kelley threw five innings and took the loss (1-2) on the hill for Saint Michael's. He surrendered eight runs (four earned) on 10 hits, walked one and struck out three.

The Ravens return to the field on Monday, April 25, 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. Franklin Pierce next plays at home on Tuesday, April 26, against Massachusetts Lowell at 6:30 p.m.

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).