Wenrich clubs grand slam in second game

RINDGE, N.H. (April 28, 2012) – Sophomore left fielder Calvin Graves (Boston, Mass.) hit 3-for-4, scored twice and drove in two runs on Saturday afternoon to lead an 18-hit attack in the first game of a doubleheader, as the No. 21/27 nationally ranked Franklin Pierce University baseball team posted a 12-7 win over Merrimack in Northeast-10 Conference Northeast Division play at Dr. Arthur and Martha Pappas Field. In the second game, sophomore right-hander Kevin McGowan (Nashua, N.H.) tossed a four-hitter and struck out a career-best 12 in a 15-3 win for Franklin Pierce. Junior designated Joe Mantoni hit three home runs on the day for Merrimack.

With the sweep, Franklin Pierce improves to 30-13-1 (17-5-1 Northeast-10, 11-4-1 Northeast Division), while Merrimack falls to 17-27 (8-16 Northeast-10, 4-12 Northeast Division). The wins give Head Coach Jayson King 499 in his career, and he will go for 500 tomorrow, when the Ravens and Warriors wrap up their three-game weekend series with a game at noon. The wins mark the 11th straight 30-win season for Franklin Pierce, all coming under King.

In each game on the afternoon, every member of the Franklin Pierce starting lineup collected at least one hit.

Merrimack opened the scoring right out of the gate with two runs in the top of the first inning. With one out, senior first baseman Tim Curran drove a double into the gap in right-center and Mantoni was hit by a pitch to put runners at first and second. After a wild pitch moved the runners up and another hit batsman loaded the bases, junior center fielder Mark O'Flynn was also hit by a pitch to force in the game's first run. That was the end of the day for sophomore right-hander Ryan Leach (Farmingdale, Maine), who was relieved by sophomore right-hander Rob Blanc (Sandy Hook, Conn.), who promptly walked sophomore third baseman Eddie Newton to force in the second run.

Franklin Pierce picked up a run in the home half of the first to cut the deficit in half. With two outs, graduate student center fielder James Roche (Arlington, Mass.) lined a single to left field, stole second on a pickoff attempt and scored on a bloop double inside the right-field line by sophomore first baseman Zach Mathieu (Derry, N.H.).

Merrimack picked up two more runs in the top of the second to push the lead to 4-1. With one out, freshman shortstop Casey Cotter lofted a popup into the wind that fell untouched on the infield for single. Two batters later, Mantoni drove his team-leading fourth home run of the season just to the left of straightaway center field.

The Ravens responded with five runs in the home half of the second to jump out front, 6-4. Three straight singles from freshman catcher Matt Walsh (Plymouth, Mass.), senior designated hitter Isaac Wenrich (Westlawn, Pa.) and junior third baseman Anthony Peguero (Hyde Park, Mass.) loaded the bases with nobody out. Graves pushed a single through the right side of the infield to score Walsh, and senior designated hitter Dan Hennigan (Downingtown, Pa.) knocked a single through the left side to plate Wenrich. Two batters later, Roche lifted a sacrifice fly to left field to bring home Peguero. After Graves scored on a wild pitch, Mathieu rounded out the inning's scoring with an RBI single back up the middle.

Franklin Pierce picked up another run in the bottom of the fourth inning to push the lead to 7-4. Hennigan led off the inning with a walk and went first-to-third when Merrimack left third base uncovered on a bunt single by junior shortstop Dan Kemp (Sturbridge, Mass.). Roche then grounded into a double play as the run came in to score.

Another run in the bottom of the sixth made it 8-4 Franklin Pierce. With one out, Graves punched a single to right field and moved to second when Hennigan was hit by a pitch. After a wild pitch moved the runners up, Kemp laid down a safety squeeze bunt and picked up an RBI single in the process.

The Ravens put the game out of reach with four runs in the bottom of the seventh to extend the lead to 12-4. Wenrich had an RBI double to left-center in the inning, while Peguero and Graves hit RBI singles and another run scored on a passed ball.

Merrimack picked up two in the eighth and one in the ninth to create the 12-7 final. In the eighth, Mantoni led off with his second home run of the game, this one to left field, and Newton had an RBI groundout. In the ninth, Cotter hit a two-out solo home run to center field, his second of the season.

Leach started and did not factor in the decision for Franklin Pierce in the first game. He lasted just one-third of an inning, allowed two runs on one hit and hit three batters. Blanc picked up the win (1-2) out of the bullpen. Over 6.2 innings, he allowed four runs on six hits, walked two and struck out three.

Junior left-hander Mike Laracy took the ball and the loss (1-4) for Merrimack. Over two innings, he allowed six runs on nine hits and struck out three.

Merrimack opened the scoring in the second game with a run in the top of the first inning. With two outs, Mantoni slugged his third home run of the day, this one to left field as well.

The Ravens answered immediately with an unearned run in the home half of the first to tie the game at 1-1. Hennigan led off with a single to center, moved to second as Kemp reached on an error and went to third as Roche bounced into a fielder's choice that saw Kemp erased at second. Hennigan would score on a fielder's choice as Roche was caught stealing second in the first-and-third situation.

Franklin Pierce took the lead for good with two runs in the bottom of the second. Walsh led off with a single back up the middle, moved to second on a wild pitch and scored on an RBI double into the gap in right-center by Wenrich, who would score when Peguero followed with another RBI double, this one down the right-field line.

Another run in the bottom of the third stretched the lead to 4-1. With one out, Roche went over the scoreboard just to right of center field for his 11th home run of the season to tie for the team lead.

The Ravens added two more in the bottom of the fifth to push the lead to 6-1. Kemp and Roche worked back-to-back walks to start the frame, and Mathieu brought them both home by blistering a double the other way into the gap in right-center.

An eight-run sixth inning broke the game wide open and made the lead 14-1. Wenrich had the big blow of the inning with a grand slam to the power alley in right-center, his second home run of the season. Also in the inning, Roche hit a two-run single, Walsh drove in a run by getting hit by a pitch and Graves hit an RBI single to right-center.

A run for Franklin Pierce in the eighth and two for Merrimack in the ninth created the 15-3 final. In the eighth for the Ravens, McGowan, now in the lineup as well, worked a one-out walk and eventually scored an unearned run on an error. In the ninth for the Warriors, freshman right fielder Rob Crocitto and Newton each drove in runs with groundouts.

McGowan went the distance to pick up the win (5-1) in the second game for Franklin Pierce. He allowed three runs (one earned) on four hits, did not issue a walk, hit a batter and struck out a career-high 12.

Sophomore right-hander Travis Terrill started and took the loss (2-6) on the hill for Merrimack. Over five innings, he allowed six runs (five earned) on nine hits, walked two and struck out two.

After Sunday, the Ravens return to the field on Tuesday, May 1, when they wrap up the home portion of their regular-season schedule with a Northeast-10 Conference Northeast Division contest against Saint Anselm. First pitch is scheduled for 6 p.m. on Pierce Pride Night 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).