Ravens plate six in ninth; collect 14 total hits in barnburner

TAMPA, Fla. (March 20, 2013) – In a game it trailed 9-1 through eight innings, the Franklin Pierce University baseball team got the tying run to the plate in the top of the ninth inning before dropping 9-7 decision to No. 5/7 nationally ranked Tampa in non-conference play on a soggy Thursday evening at University of Tampa Baseball Field. Junior center fielder Calvin Graves (Boston, Mass.), junior catcher Marty Dunlap (Dorchester, Mass.) and sophomore third baseman Matt O'Herron (Springfield, Mass.) had three hits each to lead a 14-hit attack for the Ravens.

With the loss, Franklin Pierce falls to 10-9 (0-0 Northeast-10), while Tampa improves to 21-4 (4-2 Sunshine State). The game wrapped up an eight-game trip to Florida for Franklin Pierce, which will return home for four games over the weekend.

Trailing 9-1, the Ravens set out on what appeared to be an impossible rally in the top of the ninth inning, working against Tampa senior right-hander Shawn Ferris. The inning started at the top of the order for Franklin Pierce, as Graves was hit by a pitch and moved to second when sophomore designated hitter Matt Walsh (Plymouth, Mass.) was hit by a pitch as well. Junior first baseman Zach Mathieu (Derry, N.H.) was next and pushed a single the other way through the right side of the infield. Graves was held up at third with the team facing a big deficit, but an unaware Walsh rounded second base too far, allowing the right fielder to throw behind him for a pivotal first out. Graves would score while the Spartans were tagging out Walsh, making it 9-2 and leaving Mathieu at first with one away.

Next in line was senior right fielder Nick LaCroix (Grafton, Mass.), who dumped a single into left-center, putting runners at first and second. Dunlap yanked an RBI double down the left-field line, scoring Mathieu and moving LaCroix around to third. This spelled the end of the day for Ferris, who was lifted in favor of senior left-hander Dan Zlotnick. O'Herron greeted Zlotnick by driving a double the other way into the gap in right-center to score both LaCroix and Dunlap and cut the gap to 9-5. After a wild pitch and a walk to junior left fielder Ross Lincoln (Woodstock, Conn.) put runners at first and third, Tampa went to its closer, junior right-hander Caleb Kellogg, with the tying run now in the on-deck circle.

Kellogg faced freshman shortstop Justin Brock (Latham, N.Y.) and immediately induced a sharp comebacker which could have been a game-ending double play. However, Kellogg had a battle with brain-lock on the play and opted to go to first for one out, but instead threw the ball away, allowing O'Herron to score, Lincoln to scamper around to third and Brock to reach at first.

This brought the tying run to the plate, and Kellogg bounced back with a strikeout of freshman second baseman Rich Patrizio (East Northport, N.Y.), but the ball got away from freshman catcher Dalton Hughes. Hughes scurried to the ball and fired a throw to first. While Lincoln came in to score, Patrizio chose to slide in an attempt to avoid the tag, but was called out by base umpire Matt Schaeffer. Franklin Pierce Assistant Coach Mike Chambers was vehement in his argument Patrizio avoided the tag, and Head Coach Jayson King came from the third-base coaching box to take up the protest, to no avail. Following a lengthy discussion, Kellogg struck out Graves on three pitches to end the ballgame and earn his fourth save of the season.

Earlier in the day, Tampa opened the scoring with a run in the home half of the first inning. Junior center fielder Connor Obrochta led off the inning, was hit by a pitch, moved to second on a groundout and later scored on an RBI single back up the middle by senior third baseman Jake Schrader.

The Spartans would break the game open for the time being in the bottom of the third inning, when they struck for five runs on six hits, including three doubles, to extend the lead to 6-0. The damage was scattered throughout the frame, as five different Tampa players drove in runs. Schrader and Obrochta each had RBI doubles, while junior second baseman Zach Alvord and then-catcher Pendleton had RBI singles. Sophomore shortstop Jacob Tillotson rounded out the inning's scoring with a sacrifice fly.

Franklin Pierce got on the board with a run in the top of the seventh to cut the lead to 6-1. With one out, Brock pushed a double down the right-field line. An ensuing wild pitch would send Brock to third, and he would score on the play as well, as Tampa freshman left-hander Michael Calkins was sluggish coming in from the mound to cover home plate.

Tampa got the run right back in the home half of the seventh, to push the lead back to six runs at 7-1. With one out, Alvord worked a walk, moved to second when junior pinch hitter Quinn Pippin was hit by a pitch, went to third on a walk to Pendleton and scored on a sacrifice fly to left by Tillotson.

The Spartans added two more in the bottom of the eighth, which seemed superfluous at the time, but wound up as the difference in the ballgame. With one out, sophomore designated hitter Stephen Dezzi singled to right field. Senior first baseman B.J. Zimmerman was next and unloaded on a pitch, launching a towering fly ball down the right-field line. It stayed fair long enough to turn into a two-run home run, his second of the season.

Senior left-hander Vladimir Camacho (Jamaica Plain, Mass.) took the ball on Thursday for Franklin Pierce and threw the first five innings. He allowed six runs on eight hits, walked three, hit a batter, threw a wild pitch and struck out five on his way to the loss (0-2).

Tampa opted for freshman left-hander Brad Hencke, who also went five innings. He did not allow a run, surrendered six hits, walked two, hit a batter and struck out three to pick up the win (2-0).

The Ravens return to the field on Saturday, March 23, when they open the home portion of their schedule by hosting Le Moyne in a Northeast-10 Conference doubleheader. First pitch is scheduled for 1 p.m. at Dr. Arthur and Martha Pappas Field in Rindge.

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).