Mathieu drives home pair with first inning single

RINDGE, N.H. (April 26, 2011) – Sophomore right-hander Ryan Thompson (Calgary, Alberta) struck out seven and did not issue a walk on the way to a four-hit shutout on Tuesday night, as the No. 7/10 nationally ranked Franklin Pierce University baseball team defeated No. 28/RV Massachusetts Lowell, 3-0, in Northeast-10 Conference play at Dr. Arthur and Martha Pappas Field. Freshman first baseman Zach Mathieu (Derry, N.H.) went 2-for-4 with a double and drove in the first two runs of the game with a single in the first inning.

With the win, Franklin Pierce improves to 33-7 (17-3 Northeast-10), while Massachusetts Lowell falls to 30-7 (14-5 Northeast-10). Franklin Pierce pushed its current winning streak to seven games, its third streak of at least that long in 2011. The Ravens now hold first place in the Northeast-10 by 1.5 games, plus percentage points, over Southern Connecticut State (15-4-1 Northeast-10), which was idle on Tuesday. SCSU's next Northeast-10 games are a Saturday doubleheader against Southern New Hampshire. Franklin Pierce makes the return trip to Lowell on Thursday night.

For the second straight outing, Thompson was nothing short of brilliant on the hill, as he allowed just five base runners on four hits and an error, allowed just three men to reach scoring position, and did not allow a runner to reach third base all night. He held the opposition to just three at-bats with a runner at second base on the evening, as the River Hawks went 0-for-3 with runners in scoring position. Thompson allowed just four hits, did not issue a walk and struck out seven, including the second, third and fourth hitters, in order, in the top of the ninth to end the game. It was his third complete game, and ninth win (9-1), of the season.

The game was the second shutout in a row for Thompson, who hurled a three-hit shutout with 13 strikeouts at Stonehill last Wednesday. Dating to the second inning of his April 15 start at Southern New Hampshire, Thompson pushed his scoreless streak to 23.1 innings.

The Ravens got Thompson the only runs he would need in the bottom of the first inning. With two outs, junior catcher Mike Dowd (East Bridgewater, Mass.) scorched a one-hop single past the third baseman, stole second and went to third on a wild pitch, then stayed at third while senior designated hitter Derek Ingui (Sterling, Mass.) chopped a ball off the plate and reached first with an infield single. After Ingui stole second, Mathieu drove home both runs when he looped a single off the glove of diving Lowell senior second baseman Connor Burnham, who had ranged deep into center field in pursuit of the flare.

Franklin Pierce added another run in the bottom of the second to create the 3-0 final before both sides' bats went quiet the rest of the way. Junior third baseman Isaac Wenrich (Westlawn, Pa.) led off, stayed back on a ball and bounced a single back up the middle of the diamond. After moving to second on a sacrifice bunt by freshman center fielder Ross Lincoln (Woodstock, Conn.), Wenrich scored two batters later on an RBI single into left-center field by junior second baseman Dan Hennigan (Downingtown, Pa.).

Junior left-hander Jack Leathersich started on the mound and took the loss (5-2) for Massachusetts Lowell. Over 7.1 innings, he allowed three runs on eight hits, did not issue a walk and struck out nine.

The Ravens return to the field on Thursday, April 28, when they make the return trip to Massachusetts Lowell for a Northeast-10 Conference contest. First pitch is scheduled for 7 p.m. at LeLacheur Park in Lowell, 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).