LaCroix's 4-for-5 outing keys 16-hit attack

MELBOURNE, Fla. (March 22, 2012) – Junior right-hander Joe Flynn (Plymouth, Mass.) threw a three-hitter and struck out 10 on Thursday afternoon to lead the Franklin Pierce University baseball team to a 6-1 road victory over Florida Tech in non-conference play at Andy Seminick-Les Hall Field. Junior right fielder Nick LaCroix (Grafton, Mass.) picked up four hits in five trips to lead a 16-hit outing for the Raven offense.

With the win, Franklin Pierce improves to 11-8 (0-0 Northeast-10), while Florida Tech falls to 16-10 (4-4 Sunshine State). With the win, the Ravens finish their 10-game Florida trip at 4-6.

Flynn was the story of the game, as he closed the Spring Break trip on a high note for the Ravens. Spelling a pitching staff that had thrown nine games in the previous seven days, he took the ball and went the distance, allowing just three hits along the way to pick up his third win of the season (3-0). Flynn surrendered just the one run, walked one and struck out 10 for his second straight double-digit strikeout performance.

Franklin Pierce opened the scoring with three runs in the top of the first inning and never looked back. With one out, junior shortstop Dan Kemp (Sturbridge, Mass.) started things with a single back up the middle and moved around to third when graduate student center fielder James Roche (Arlington, Mass.) followed and pulled a double down the left-field line. After a walk to sophomore first baseman Zach Mathieu (Derry, N.H.) loaded the bases, LaCroix plated the first run with a single to right and then freshman catcher Matt Walsh (Plymouth, Mass.) brought home the other two with a single to left.

The Ravens pushed the lead as high as 6-0 with three more runs in the top of the fifth. With one out, LaCroix singled through the left side of the infield and moved to second when Walsh singled back through the middle of the diamond. Two batters later, senior designated hitter Dan Poirier (Lunenburg, Mass.) scored LaCroix with an RBI single to left-center. Two more batters later, senior second baseman Dan Hennigan (Downingtown, Pa.) yanked a double down the left-field line to drive home both Walsh and Poirier.

Florida Tech picked up its lone run of the ballgame in the bottom of the seventh inning. Senior shortstop K.C. Clabough opened the inning with a lead-off bunt single and stole second. He would score two batters later when senior catcher Ryan McChesney drove a double into the gap in left-center.

Freshman left-hander Scotty Ward started and suffered the loss (3-3) on the mound for Florida Tech. Over five innings of work, he allowed six runs (five earned) on 14 hits, walked one and struck out one.

The Ravens return to the field on Sunday, March 25, when they travel to American International for a doubleheader to open the Northeast-10 campaign. First pitch of the twinbill is scheduled for noon at AIC Park in Springfield, Mass. Franklin Pierce's home opener is scheduled for Tuesday, April 3 against Southern New Hampshire at 3:30 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).