James Roche launches two homers to spark Ravens offensive attack in 20-1 victory

PHILADELPHIA, Pa. (March 10, 2012) -- Franklin Pierce University center fielder James Roche (Arlington, Mass.) launched two home runs and scored four times on Saturday to lead the Ravens baseball team to a convincing 20-1 victory over Philadelphia University at Alumni Field in Philadelphia. The Ravens improved to 6-2, while the Rams fell to 3-8.

Roche bopped a solo shot in the first inning to start the scoring and smacked another solo blast to lead off the fifth. He also collected a double on the afternoon as he now has three homers and four doubles in the first eight games this season.

Right fielder Nick LaCroix (Grafton, Mass.) and catcher Matt Walsh (Plymouth, Mass.) also stroked three hits and drove in a trio of runs to aid in the Ravens offensive attack. 

Ryan Leach (Farmingdale, Maine) got the start on the mound and went 5.0 innings to earn the win to improve to 3-0 on the season. He struck out five, walked one and yielded just a pair of hits in the triumph. Four other relievers combined to allow just one run on three hits over the final four innings.

Joe Thayres drove in Philadelphia's lone run, while Paul Goldman took the loss on the mound after going just 4.1 innings and yielding nine runs (6 earned) on 10 hits with two walks and a strikeout.

Roche's first-inning blast kick-started Franklin Pierce's barrage of runs and the Ravens exploded for three more in the second inning to go up 4-0. LaCroix led off the frame by reaching on a fielding error and eventually scored on a sac fly from third baseman Anthony Peguero (Hyde Park, Mass.). Walsh scored later in the frame on another fielding error and left fielder Calvin Graves (Boston, Mass.) capped the scoring in the frame when he scored on a balk.

Franklin Pierce strung together a combined nine runs over the fifth and sixth innings to blow the game open at 14-0. Roche homered to lead off the frame and first baseman Zach Mathieu (Derry, N.H.) followed with a triple to left field. LaCroix ripped a single up the middle to drive in Mathieu, and he would score later in the frame on a sac fly from designated hitter Eric Romano (North Branford, Conn.). Walsh scored Franklin Pierce's final run of the inning after he walked and scored on a fielder's choice.

Walsh singled home LaCroix and Roche in the sixth and Peguero launched a three-run blast in Franklin Pierce's next at-bat to put the Ravens up by double-digit runs.

The Ravens scored two more in the seventh, tacked on one in the eighth and tallied three in the ninth to cap their explosive afternoon.

The other highlight of the afternoon was a triple play turned by the Ravens in the bottom of the sixth inning. Kevin Giambri and Kyle DeGennaro each walked to lead off the frame for the Rams, but both were thrown out on the next play when Rick Reigner grouned out to short. Giambri was thrown out at home from short and DeGennaro was punched out at third. Reigner was tagged out at second trying to take an extra base. Vladimir Camacho (Jamaica Plain, Mass.) was the pitcher of note for Franklin Pierce, who induced the triple play.

Franklin Pierce returns to action tomorrow when the Ravens take on Bloomsburg at Philadelphia University at 12 p.m.

For more information on Franklin Pierce baseball, please visit the team's page at athletics.franklinpierce.edu(.) To follow the program even further, please visit Franklin Pierce Athletics on YouTube (www.youtube.com/FranklinPierceSports), Twitter (www.twitter.com/FPUathletics) and Facebook (www.facebook.com/FranklinPierceRavens).