Mathieu hits sixth home run of season in first game

RINDGE, N.H. (April 5, 2012) – In a spot start, junior right-hander Joe Coto (Miami, Fla.) struck out six over 6.1 innings of four-hit ball on Thursday afternoon to lead the Franklin Pierce University baseball team to a 4-3 win in the first game of a non-conference doubleheader against Concordia (N.Y.) at Dr. Arthur and Martha Pappas Field. In the second game, junior shortstop Dan Kemp (Sturbridge, Mass.) scored two runs and drove in two more, as Franklin Pierce posted a 10-0 shutout.

With the sweep, Franklin Pierce improves to 17-10-1 (4-2-1 Northeast-10, 3-1-1 Northeast Division), while Concordia falls to 6-23 (4-6 Central Atlantic). Both games of the twinbill were of the seven-inning variety.

Franklin Pierce opened the scoring with a run in the bottom of the second inning. Leading off the inning, sophomore first baseman Zach Mathieu (Derry, N.H.) went the other way and dumped a ball over the right-field fence for his team-leading sixth home run of the season.

Concordia answered with a solo home run of its own in the top of the third to tie the game at 1-1. With one out, freshman second baseman David Velazquez pulled a ball to left field that barely squeaked out of the reach of the left fielder and over the fence. For Velazquez, it was his first career home run.

Concordia took a 2-1 lead in the top of the fourth with yet another solo home run. With two outs this time, junior designated hitter Luis Gonzalez hit a fly ball to right field. With the wind blowing out in that direction, the ball wound up beyond the fence for Gonzalez's first homer of the campaign.

Franklin Pierce tied the game at 2-2 with an unearned run in the bottom of the fifth. With one out, freshman third baseman R.J. Going (Bay Shore, N.Y.) popped up a ball on the right side of the infield. The pitcher camped under the ball, but freshman first baseman Cristian Fiorito ran into him and the ball dropped, allowing Going to reach at second on the error. Going moved to third on a groundout and later scored on a balk by junior right-hander Felix Lopez.

The Ravens took the lead for good with two runs in the bottom of the sixth inning. Kemp led off the inning with a walk, but was erased at second as graduate student James Roche (Arlington, Mass.) reached on a fielder's choice after dropping down an unsuccessful sacrifice bunt. Roche then stole second and moved to third on a sharp single to right field by Mathieu. Junior right fielder Nick LaCroix (Grafton, Mass.) followed and attempted to drop down a safety squeeze, but bunted the ball straight back to Lopez. The pitcher elected to come home with the ball, but junior catcher Raul Gonzalez tagged Kemp up high, allowing his foot to reach the plate underneath the tag to score the run. Two batters later, junior second baseman Anthony Peguero (Hyde Park, Mass.) was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to force home Mathieu.

Concordia scratched out a run in the top of the seventh to create the 4-3 final. With one out, Luis Gonzalez clubbed a double the other way into the gap in right-center and was replaced by freshman pinch runner Ryan Roman, who went to third on a wild pitch which chased Coto from the mound in favor of sophomore right-hander Rob Blanc (Sandy Hook, Conn.). Roman would then score on a sacrifice fly to center by senior third baseman Chris Rutigliano. Blanc got the next batter to ground to first, but an error by Mathieu allowed freshman right fielder Erik Poldroo to reach to prolong the inning. Poldroo then went to second on a wild pitch to put the tying run in scoring position. However, Blanc finished things off by getting junior catcher Raul Gonzalez to line out to left field.

Coto, who only started after junior right-hander Joe Flynn (Plymouth, Mass.) was scratched at the last minute, picked up the win (1-1) on the mound for the Ravens. In the spot start, Coto tossed 6.1 innings, allowed three runs on four hits, did not issue a walk, hit a batter and struck out six. Blanc gave up one baserunner, on the error, but was otherwise perfect while tossing the final two-thirds of an inning to earn his first save of the season.

Lopez started and took the loss (0-4) on the hill for Concordia. Over 5.2 innings, he allowed four runs (three earned) on five hits, walked three (one intentionally), hit a batter, balked once and struck out five.

Franklin Pierce broke the second game open by sending 11 men to the plate to score seven runs in the bottom of the first inning and never looked back. The Ravens had only one extra-base hit in the inning, to go with four singles, and were also aided by three walks and two Concordia errors. Roche, freshman catcher Matt Walsh (Plymouth, Mass.), freshman left fielder Calvin Graves (Boston, Mass.) and senior designated hitter Dan Hennigan (Downingtown, Pa.) all had RBI singles in the frame, while Peguero drove an RBI triple into the gap in right-center.

The Ravens added three more runs in the bottom of the fifth to create the 10-0 final. Kemp hammered a two-run double into left-center in the inning, while Mathieu went the other way to knock an RBI double off the right-field fence.

Junior right-hander Ryan Thompson (Calgary, Alberta) started and picked up the win (1-1) on the mound for the Ravens in the second game. Over six shutout innings, he allowed three hits, walked one and struck out seven.

Junior right-hander Salvatore Minichino started and took the loss (0-3) on the bump for Concordia. He lasted just two-thirds of an inning and was tagged for seven runs (four earned) on five hits and three walks.

The Ravens return to the field on Friday, April 6, when they remain home to host Adelphi in a Northeast-10 Conference doubleheader. First pitch is scheduled for 2 p.m. at Pappas Field.

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).