First game lasts 16 innings, likely longest in school history

SHIRLEY, N.Y. (March10, 2013) – Senior right-hander Ryan Thompson (Calgary, Alberta) piled up 13 strikeouts and issued no walks over 10 innings of work on Sunday afternoon, though the Franklin Pierce University baseball team ultimately fell, 3-2 in 16 innings, in the first game of a non-conference doubleheader against Dowling on the road at Golden Lions Field. In the second game, three pitchers combined to throw a four-hit shutout and senior right fielder Nick LaCroix (Grafton, Mass.) scored three runs and went 3-for-5 as Franklin Pierce bounced back with an 8-0 win.

With the split, Franklin Pierce moves to 6-5 (0-0 Northeast-10) on the season, while Dowling goes to 2-5 (0-0 East Coast). The first game is the longest game on record in program history for Franklin Pierce, though extra-inning data is incomplete prior to 1996. The previous longest game on record was a 14-inning affair against Pace in 2008.

Thompson was the story of the first game on the mound, as he faced only 32 batters -- just two over the minimum -- through 10 innings of three-hit ball. He was charged with two runs, but only one earned, and allowed only two extra-base hits, though one was a home run. Junior right-hander Ryan Leach (Farmingdale, Maine) took over from there, throwing the next 5.2 innings, and eventually taking the loss (0-2) in the home half of the 16th. He allowed just the one run on three hits, also did not issue a walk, hit one batter and struck out six, all without allowing an extra-base hit.

A pair of eight-inning outings on the other side of the ledger resulted in the win for Dowling. Junior Tyler Badamo took the ball first for the Golden Lions and struck out 10 over his eight innings, while walking two, hitting one, throwing one wild pitch and allowing just two runs on three hits, only one of which went for extra bases. Junior Tom Bammann took the stage next and fired eight hitless, shutout innings with six strikeouts to pick up the win (1-0) out of the bullpen. He walked one and threw a wild pitch while facing only two batters over the minimum during his time on the hill.

After five scoreless innings, Dowling drew first blood in the first game with a run in the bottom of the sixth. Junior first baseman Ian Schneider led off the inning with a solo home run, his first of the season, to left field.

Franklin Pierce answered with a run in the top of the seventh to tie it at 1-1. With one out, sophomore catcher Matt Walsh (Plymouth, Mass.) worked a walk, moved to second on a single through the left side by LaCroix and scored on an RBI single up the middle by sophomore third baseman Matt O'Herron (Springfield, Mass.).

Dowling snatched the lead right back with an unearned run in the bottom half of the seventh. Junior second baseman Andrew Abreu opened the inning with a double to right, stole third and scored on the play on a throwing error by Walsh.

Again the Ravens responded with a run, this time in the top of the eighth, to tie the game at 2-2. With one out, junior center fielder Calvin Graves (Boston, Mass.) pushed a double down the right-field line and later moved to third when junior first baseman Zach Mathieu (Derry, N.H.) struck out, but reached on a wild pitch. Graves then scored on a first-and-third play, as Mathieu was picked off but hung on in a rundown long enough to get the run home.

The two teams would then hang zeroes on the scoreboard in each of the next seven innings before Dowling plated a run in the bottom of the 16th to win it. With one out, junior third baseman JC Brandmaier knocked a single to left, but was erased as senior left fielder Joseph Candela reached on a fielder's choice. Candela was lifted for sophomore pinch runner Johnathon Cruz, who moved to second on a single to left by junior center fielder Rob Veltre and scored on a game-winning single to left by Schneider.

In the second game, the Franklin Pierce offense plated two in the first inning and clicked from the start, after going through the final eight innings of the first game without a hit. Graves led off the nightcap with a double to left and scored the only run the Ravens needed as LaCroix immediately followed with a triple into the gap in left-center. LaCroix would score two batters later on an RBI single through the left side by Walsh.

The Ravens tacked on two unearned runs in the top of the third to double the lead to 4-0. With one out, LaCroix laced a double down the left-field line and came around to score when Mathieu reached on an error by the third baseman. The error got Mathieu all the way around to third by the time the play ended, and he scored from there on an RBI infield single by Walsh.

Franklin Pierce added a quartet of insurance runs in the top of the seventh to create the 8-0 final. None of the four runs would score on hits, as the Dowling battery made a mess of things in the inning. Graves led off with a triple into the gap in left-center and then scored on a wild pitch. LaCroix and Walsh each had singles in the inning, while Mathieu reached on an error, but all three would eventually score on either a wild pitch or a passed ball, and all were aided in their circuit of the bases by the same.

Junior right-hander Trevor Graham (Sebastian, Fla.) took the ball for Franklin Pierce in the second game. Over six shutout innings, he allowed three hits, walked one, threw a wild pitch and struck out five to pick up the win (2-0).

Dowling sent senior Adam Brown to the hill in the second game. He was tagged for four runs (two earned) on seven hits and a walk while striking out three in the loss (0-2).

The Ravens return to the field on an eight-game trip to Florida, slated for March 15-20. The trip will open with a 4 p.m. doubleheader against Mercy on Friday, March 15 at NSU Baseball Complex on the campus of Nova Southeastern University in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

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). Fans wishing to purchase Franklin Pierce baseball apparel can do so at the Department of Athletics' online store (http://athletics.franklinpierce.edu/store).