Mathieu finishes 6-for-10 with two home runs

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (March 25, 2012) – Graduate student left-hander Jack Crawford (Montgomery, N.Y.) tossed a three-hit shutout and struck out 10 on Saturday afternoon to lead the Franklin Pierce University baseball team to a 9-0 road win over American International in the first game of a Northeast-10 Conference doubleheader at AIC Park. In the second game, a bases-loaded single up the middle by freshman third baseman Lucas Vallas drove home the winning run in the bottom of the 13th to give AIC a 3-2 victory.

With the split, Franklin Pierce is now 12-9 (1-1 Northeast-10), while American International is 6-8 (1-3 Northeast-10). For AIC, the second game marked the first victory in program history against Franklin Pierce, in the 32nd game between the two schools.

In the first game of the day, Crawford needed just one of the nine runs the Raven offense plated for him, as he was busy spinning a three-hit shutout to post the win (2-2). He faced just three over the minimum on the day, as he walked only one in addition to three hits and rolled up a double play along the way. Crawford struck out 10 Yellow Jackets in the contest, did not allow a baserunner until the sixth inning, allowed only one runner to reach scoring position, did not allow a runner past second base, and did not allow more than one batter to reach base in any inning.

Meanwhile, the Franklin Pierce offense struck for four runs in the top of the third inning and never looked back. Senior designated hitter Dan Poirier (Lunenburg, Mass.) led off, reached on a throwing error by the shortstop and stole second. He scored from there when freshman left fielder R.J. Going (Bay Shore, N.Y.) followed with an RBI single back up the middle. Going would take second on the throw to the plate, moved to third on a sacrifice bunt and scored on an RBI single to left by junior shortstop Dan Kemp (Sturbridge, Mass.). Sophomore first baseman Zach Mathieu (Derry, N.H.) provided the final two runs of the inning, when he hammered his third home run of the campaign to center field.

The Ravens tacked on one run each in the sixth and seventh innings to push the lead to 6-0. In the sixth, Poirier singled through the left side and was replaced by freshman pinch runner Ryan Boswell (New Bedford, Mass.), who stole second, stole third and scored on an RBI single through the left side by senior second baseman Dan Hennigan (Downingtown, Pa.). In the seventh, Mathieu led off with a home run to left-center field. His fourth of the season gave him his second multiple-homer game of the year.

Franklin Pierce capped the scoring with three unearned runs in the eighth to create the 9-0 final. Going, Hennigan and graduate student center fielder James Roche (Arlington, Mass.) scored in the inning, while the only RBI went to sophomore pinch hitter Ross Lincoln (Woodstock, Conn.), who hit a run-scoring single down the left-field line.

Junior right-hander Chris Goonan started and took the loss (1-1) on the mound for American International. Over 5.2 innings, he was touched for five runs (two earned) on eight hits, walked one and struck out two.

In the second game, Franklin Pierce opened the scoring with a run in the top of the first inning. With two outs, Roche dropped down a bunt single and came all the way around to score from first when Mathieu clubbed a double into the gap in left-center.

After three scoreless innings, AIC answered with a run in the bottom of the fifth to knot the game at 1-1. With one out, sophomore designated hitter Dave Clark worked a walk and moved around to third on a double to right-center by senior first baseman Julian Concepcion. Clark would score when Vallas followed and dumped an RBI single into left field.

The Ravens reclaimed the lead at 2-1 with a run in the top of the seventh. Mathieu was the centerpiece was again, as he led off and drove a double to left field. He moved to third on a bunt single by junior right fielder Nick LaCroix (Grafton, Mass.) and scored on a sacrifice fly to center by freshman catcher Matt Walsh (Plymouth, Mass.).

This time, the Yellow Jackets answered immediately with a run in the home half of the seventh to tie the game again, this time at 2-2. Graduate student right fielder Kyle McNiff started things with a lead-off infield single. Three batters later, he scored from second base on an RBI single to left by Vallas.

The game would remain locked at 2-2 until AIC plated the winning run in the bottom of the 13th. Along the way, the Ravens squandered chances with runners in scoring position in both the ninth and 13th innings. For its part, AIC could have ended things sooner, as it failed with runners in scoring position in the eighth and 11th, and left the bases loaded in the 12th before finally dropping the hammer in the 13th.

The Ravens were in trouble right from the get-go in the home half of the 13th, as sophomore center fielder Dan Asselin opened the frame with a double into the gap in left-center. After a single by graduate student second baseman Nick Devine and an intentional walk loaded the bases, Asselin was erased at the plate as Clark failed to make contact on a suicide squeeze attempt. Freshman right-hander Travis Landry (London, N.H.) then intentionally walked Clark to re-load the bases and struck out Concepcion to put himself on the verge of working out of the inherited jam.

However, that brought Vallas to the plate and the game to its final crescendo. Landry put Vallas in an 0-2 hole, and then wasted a pitch to put the count at 1-2. Vallas made contact with the next pitch and bounced it back up the middle. Hennigan made a diving stop behind the bag at second, but could not collect the ball quick enough to make a play on Clark heading to second base, and the winning run came across to score.

Sophomore right-hander Kevin McGowan (Nashua, N.H.) saw his strong effort wasted in the second game, as he exited with a no-decision despite 6.2 stellar innings. He allowed two runs on four hits, walked one and struck out 10. No AIC batter reached base against McGowan until the fifth inning and, in all, only five of the 25 men he faced reached safely. Senior right-hander T.J. Ferguson (Westmoreland, N.H.) took the loss (0-1) out of the bullpen for the Ravens. Over 1.2 innings of work, he allowed one run on two hits, walked four (two intentionally) and struck out one.

Freshman right-hander Spencer Prusack took the ball in the second game for AIC and did not factor in the decision after seven strong innings. He allowed two runs on five hits, walked two and struck out one. Senior right-hander Tim Bailey fired four shutout innings out of the bullpen to pick up the win (2-1) for the Yellow Jackets. He allowed three hits, did not issue a walk and struck out two.

The Ravens return to the field on Wednesday, March 28, when they travel to Saint Anselm for a Northeast-10 Conference contest. First pitch is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. at Sullivan Park in Manchester, N.H. 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).