Leach, McGowan combine to fan 17

EASTON, Mass. (April 21, 2012) – Sophomore right-hander Ryan Leach (Farmingdale, Maine) chucked eight innings of four-hit ball with eight strikeouts on Saturday afternoon to lead the Franklin Pierce University baseball team to a 2-1 win over Stonehill in the first game of a Northeast-10 Conference Northeast Division doubleheader at Lou Gorman Field. In the second game, sophomore first baseman Zach Mathieu (Derry, N.H.), freshman catcher Matt Walsh (Plymouth, Mass.) and senior designated hitter Isaac Wenrich (Westlawn, Pa.) all hit solo home runs to lead Franklin Pierce to a 7-3 victory.

With the doubleheader sweep, Franklin Pierce improves to 27-12-1 (14-4-1 Northeast-10, 9-3-1 Northeast Division), while Stonehill falls to 23-16 (11-10 Northeast-10, 6-7 Northeast Division). Combined with Friday's 27-11 victory, Franklin Pierce has swept the three-game weekend series from Stonehill. The Ravens have now won five games in a row and 15 of their last 18.

In the first game, Franklin Pierce opened the scoring with a run in the top of the third inning. Wenrich led off, pulled a single into right field and moved to second when sophomore left fielder Calvin Graves (Boston, Mass.) followed and worked a walk. After senior second baseman Dan Hennigan (Downingtown, Pa.) dropped down a bunt single to load the bases, junior shortstop Dan Kemp (Sturbridge, Mass.) lifted a sacrifice fly to center field to score Wenrich with the game's first run.

Stonehill answered immediately with a run in the home half of the third to even the score at 1-1. Freshman second baseman Billy Horobin started things with a two-out double into the gap in left-center field and scored on an RBI single to right by junior shortstop Michael Zeiner.

Franklin Pierce picked up a run in the top of the sixth inning to take a 2-1 lead that proved to be the final score. Mathieu led off, drove a ball the other way into the right-field power alley and legged out his team-leading third triple of the season. Junior right fielder Nick LaCroix (Grafton, Mass.) was next and went the other way for a sacrifice fly to right field to drive in the run.

Stonehill threatened to get the run back, and possibly more, in the bottom of the sixth. Horobin worked a lead-off walk, then went first-to-third two batters later on a single back up the middle by senior center fielder Michael White. The throw went to third to try to nab Horobin, but was too late and allowed White to take second, leaving the Skyhawks with two runners in scoring position and only one out. However, Leach got sophomore second baseman Dan Fratus to pop up over the infield and induced a groundout to Kemp at shortstop by sophomore right fielder Billy Karalis to end the threat.

After the sixth inning, the Skyhawks would have only one more baserunner over the final three innings, as Karalis was stranded at first after a two-out walk in the ninth.

Leach fired eight innings of four-hit ball to pick up the win (6-1) on the mound in the first game for Franklin Pierce. He allowed one run, walked one and struck out eight. Junior right-hander Ryan Thompson (Calgary, Alberta) tossed a scoreless, hitless ninth, issuing just the one walk to earn his first career save.

Senior left-hander Kyle Shepard started and took the loss (3-2) on the hill for Stonehill. Over seven innings, he allowed two runs on six hits, walked three, hit a batter and struck out six.

In the second game, Franklin Pierce opened the scoring with a run in the top of the second inning, when Mathieu led off the frame with a solo home run to straightaway center field. It was his team-leading 11th home run of the season and his second in as many days against Stonehill.

Stonehill would tie the game at 1-1 with a run in the bottom of the third. With two outs, Zeiner worked a walk and went first-to-third on a single through the right side by White. Fratus followed with an RBI single through the left side of the infield.

The Ravens responded immediately and took the lead for good with a run in the top of the fourth inning. This time, Walsh did the damage, with a two-out solo home run to the power alley in left-center, his second homer of the season.

Franklin Pierce extended the lead to 4-1 with two runs in the top of the fifth. Wenrich led off and hit his first home run of the season, and first since March 12, 2011, a solo shot to right-center field. Graves got things going again right away, as he followed and pulled a double into the gap in left-center. After a walk to Hennigan, a sacrifice bunt to move the runners up and an intentional walk to load the bases, LaCroix eventually worked a two-out, bases-loaded walk to force home the inning's second run.

The Ravens added an unearned run in the top of the sixth to make it 5-1. With two outs, Graves singled to left, then stole second and moved to third on an errant pickoff throw. The error set the stage for Hennigan, who pushed an RBI single through the right side.

Stonehill closed the gap to 5-3 with a pair of runs in the bottom of the seventh. Senior third baseman Steven Popp hit a lead-off single to center and moved to third on a ground-rule double to right field by Shepard. Two batters later, freshman catcher Matt Anziano brought home Popp with a sacrifice fly to center field. Horobin followed with an RBI single to right to drive in Shepard.

Franklin Pierce picked up a pair of insurance runs after a two-out-and-nobody-on situation in the top of the ninth inning to create the 7-3 final. Graduate student center fielder James Roche (Arlington, Mass.) started things with a single to center field and then took second on an errant pickoff throw. Stonehill elected to walk Mathieu to pitch to LaCroix, but the latter drilled a double to center to drive in both runs.

Sophomore right-hander Kevin McGowan (Nashua, N.H.) started atop the bump and picked up the win (4-1) for Franklin Pierce in the second game. Over seven innings, he allowed three runs on seven hits, walked one and struck out nine. Junior left-hander Vladimir Camacho (Jamaica Plain, Mass.) retired the side in order, including a strikeout, with the score still 5-3 in the eighth, then struck out the side in order in the ninth to notch his first career save.

Sophomore left-hander Zach Soulier took the ball and the loss (5-1) on the rubber for Stonehill. In 5.2 innings of work, he allowed five runs (four earned) on eight hits, walked three (one intentionally) and struck out nine.

The Ravens return to the field on Tuesday, April 24, when they travel to Assumption for a Northeast-10 Conference contest. First pitch is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. at Rocheleau Field in Worcester, Mass. Franklin Pierce next plays at home on Saturday, April 28, in a doubleheader against Merrimack at noon.

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).