Ravens claim second seed in Northeast Division

COLCHESTER, Vt. (May 5, 2012) – Junior shortstop Dan Kemp (Sturbridge, Mass.) went 3-for-5, scored three times, drove in a run and threw out the tying run at the plate in the ninth inning in the first game of a doubleheader on Saturday afternoon as the No. 15/18 nationally ranked Franklin Pierce University baseball team squeaked out a 9-8 win over Saint Michael's in Northeast-10 Conference Northeast Division play at Doc Jacobs Field. In the second game, senior designated hitter Isaac Wenrich (Westlawn, Pa.) cranked a three-run home run in a five-run ninth inning as Franklin Pierce finished off the regular season with a 9-4 win to post the doubleheader sweep.

With the pair of victories, Franklin Pierce improves to 33-15-1 (20-7-1 Northeast-10, 14-6-1 Northeast Division), while Saint Michael's falls to 11-29 (7-22 Northeast-10, 4-17 Northeast Division). With the wins, the Ravens have clinched home-field advantage in the first round of next week's Northeast-10 Championship and the second seed in the Northeast Division, and will play at 4 p.m. on Tuesday, May 8 at Dr. Arthur and Martha Pappas Field in Rindge. Their first-round opponent will be determined by the outcomes of various games on Sunday, the final day of the regular season.

Having trailed 7-0 earlier in the first game, Saint Michael's still trailed 9-5 as it came to bat in the bottom of the ninth inning, but the Purple Knights would make things interesting in the end. A lead-off single to right by sophomore designated hitter Alec Tice and back-to-back walks to freshman left fielder Nicky Elderton and senior first baseman Chadwick Estey loaded the bases with nobody out and spelled the end of a 1.2-inning relief outing for senior right-hander T.J. Ferguson (Westmoreland, N.H.). He was replaced by fellow senior right-hander Erik Sommers (Voluntown, Conn.), who was greeted by a sacrifice fly to left by sophomore right fielder Nick Nelson and an RBI single to right by sophomore pinch hitter Jason Moore, which closed the gap to 9-7 and left Saint Michael's with runners at first and third with one out.

Sommers got a looking strikeout of junior pinch hitter Jacob Begnoche for the second out, but then saw freshman shortstop Don McGuirl drive a double the other way into the gap in left-center field. Estey trotted home to make it 9-8, and the Purple Knights waved home Moore, who was trucking around from first base. However, an accurate relay throw from graduate student center fielder James Roche (Arlington, Mass.) to Kemp to freshman catcher Matt Walsh (Plymouth, Mass.) cut down the tying run at the plate to end the game and allow the Ravens to escape the first game with a 9-8 win.

Earlier in the contest, Franklin Pierce opened the scoring with three runs in the top of the first and another in the top of the third to jump out to a 4-0 lead. In the first, senior second baseman Dan Hennigan (Downingtown, Pa.) worked a lead-off walk and moved to second on a bunt single by Kemp before a walk to sophomore first baseman Zach Mathieu (Derry, N.H.) loaded the bases. Junior right fielder Nick LaCroix (Grafton, Mass.) dropped down a bunt single on a squeeze play to drive in Hennigan, while Kemp scored on a sacrifice fly to center by Walsh. Mathieu would later score on a throwing error by the catcher attempting to nab LaCroix stealing second in a first-and-third situation.

In the third, Kemp led off with a bunt single, moved to second on a sacrifice bunt, went to third on a single through the left side by Mathieu and scored on LaCroix's second squeeze bunt of the game.

The Ravens appeared to break the game wide open with three more runs in the top of the fourth to extend the lead to 7-0. Roche knocked an RBI double to left-center in the inning, while Kemp hit a run-scoring single back up the middle and Hennigan brought in a run with a sacrifice fly to right.

However, Saint Michael's was able to plate five runs in the bottom of the seventh inning to set up the ninth-inning dramatics. The Purple Knights needed just two hits to do their damage in the frame, as they were aided by an error and five walks by Franklin Pierce pitching, which issued 11 walks in the game. Tice had the only RBI hit of the inning, with an infield single, while Elderton drove in a run with a bases-loaded walk and Estey hit an RBI groundball while also reaching base on an error on the play.

Junior right-hander Ryan Thompson (Calgary, Alberta) started and picked up the win (4-2) on the hill for Franklin Pierce in the first game. Over six-plus innings, he allowed four runs on three hits, walked six and struck out 11. Sommers picked up his first career save by recording all three outs in the ninth while allowing two hits and striking out one.

Junior left-hander Andrew Kelley started and suffered the loss (2-6) for Saint Michael's. Over seven innings of work, he allowed seven runs (six earned) on eight hits, walked four and struck out six.

In a back-and-forth second game that wound up tied at 4-4 through eight innings, the Ravens broke things open with five runs in the top of the ninth inning to take the 9-4 victory. Wenrich had the big blow of the inning, when he pulled a three-run home run into the power alley in right center, his third round-tripper of the season. Also in the inning, LaCroix brought in another run with a bunt single on yet another squeeze play and Walsh drove in a run with an RBI ground-rule double.

Franklin Pierce opened the scoring in the second game with a run in the top of the second inning. With one out, LaCroix pulled a single through the left side of the infield, moved to second on an infield single by Walsh and scored on an RBI single to center by Wenrich.

Saint Michael's struck for a run in the bottom of the fifth inning to tie the game at 1-1. Estey was hit by a pitch to start the inning, stole second and scored three batters later on an RBI double to right by McGuirl.

The Ravens used back-to-back doubles in the top of the sixth to answer with a run of their own and reclaim the lead at 2-0. With two outs, LaCroix drilled a double to center field and scored three pitches later when Walsh followed and pushed a ball the other way for an RBI double to right-center.

Saint Michael's picked up three runs in the bottom of the seventh to jump to a 4-2 lead. With one out, senior third baseman Bryan Geary singled to right, moved to second two batters later on a single through the left side by McGuirl and scored when sophomore second baseman Tyler Wild clubbed a ground-rule double into the gap in right-center. Nelson was next and hit a two-run double to left-center to drive home both Wild and McGuirl.

Franklin Pierce answered with a pair of runs in the top of the eighth to knot the game at 4-4 and set the stage for the ninth inning. Roche led off with a single through the left side and moved to second on another single through the left side, this one by Mathieu. After a bunt single by LaCroix loaded the bases, Walsh lifted a sacrifice fly to right to score Roche. Wenrich followed and knocked an RBI single to center to bring home Mathieu.

Sophomore right-hander Kevin McGowan (Nashua, N.H.) went the distance for his second complete game of the season to pick up the win (6-2) for the Ravens. He allowed four runs on nine hits, walked one and struck out 11.

Senior right-hander Austin Ziskie took the ball for Saint Michael's and did not factor in the decision. Over 7.1 innings, he allowed four runs on 11 hits, did not issue a walk, hit a batter and struck out six. Sophomore right-hander Nick Myers suffered the loss (0-5) out of the bullpen for the Purple Knights. In one inning of work, he was charged with five runs on three hits, walked three and struck out one.

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).