Camacho logs 2.2 hitless innings out of bullpen

RINDGE, N.H. (April 4, 2013) – Junior catcher Marty Dunlap (Dorchester, Mass.) lifted a flyball to right-center in the bottom of the 10th inning on Thursday afternoon that fell between miscommunicating outfielders for a game-winning single to finish off a 3-2 victory for the No. 30 nationally ranked Franklin Pierce University baseball team over Saint Michael's in Northeast-10 Conference Northeast Division play at Dr. Arthur and Martha Pappas Field. Senior left-hander Andrew Kelley threw all 9.2 innings for Saint Michael's in the loss -- tossing 140 pitches to do so -- while allowing just five hits and striking out six.

With the win, Franklin Pierce improves to 18-9 (8-0 Northeast-10, 5-0 Northeast Division), while Saint Michael's falls to 5-14 (2-7 Northeast-10, 0-5 Northeast Division). The win is the eighth in a row for Franklin Pierce, the longest for the team since a nine-game winning streak from March 18 through March 30 in 2011. The Ravens won nine consecutive contests twice in the first month-plus of that season.

With the game tied 2-2 in the top of the eighth inning, junior right-hander Trevor Graham (Sebastian, Fla.) struck out Saint Michael's junior right fielder Nick Nelson to start the frame. However, he pushed his pitch total to 104 in the at-bat, which spelled the end of his day, and Head Coach Jayson King turned to senior left-hander Vladimir Camacho (Jamaica Plain, Mass.) with a pair of left-handed batters coming up in the heart of the Saint Michael's order. Camacho issued a six-pitch walk to junior first baseman Alec Tice, but then got sophomore center fielder Nicky Elderton to bounce into an inning-ending, 6-4-3 double play.

Camacho continued and got the side in order in the ninth with two groundouts and a strikeout, which prompted the Ravens to leave him on the hill when the game went to extra innings. In the 10th, he issued a lead-off walk and hit a batter, but ultimately worked around it without the ball leaving the infield and stranded runners at first and third before the offense picked him up a win (1-2) in the home half of the inning. In all, Camacho faced 10 batters, did not allow a hit, walked two, hit a batter, struck out one, did not allow a ball hit in the air and recorded six groundouts, including the eighth-inning double play.

After Camacho's shutdown work, the Ravens sent the four, five and six hitters to the plate to start the bottom of the 10th. Sophomore designated hitter Matt Walsh (Plymouth, Mass.) struck out to start the inning, but then sophomore left fielder John Razzino (Cranston, R.I.) took two strikes and then watched four straight balls to work a six-pitch, one-out walk. He stole second on a close play which Saint Michael's Head Coach Paul Morgan came out to argue, to no avail. After a groundout on the left side left Razzino at second with two outs, Dunlap wound up in an 0-2 hole and lifted a ball into medium-depth right-center field. Nelson and Elderton came together under the ball with time to make a play, but neither took charge and both watched as the ball fell between them for a single while Razzino scampered home from second with the winning run.

Kelley, who had begun to walk towards the first-base dugout after inducing what would have been an inning-ending flyout, spiked his glove in frustration as the ball fell in and his effort was wasted. The senior southpaw logged all 9.2 innings for the Purple Knights and allowed three runs on five hits. He walked two, hit a batter and struck out six, but was saddled with the loss (1-2) anyway.

Earlier in the game, the Ravens opened the scoring with a run in the bottom of the first inning. Junior center fielder Calvin Graves (Boston, Mass.) started things out of the leadoff spot by chopping a second-pitch single over the pitcher's head and through into center field. He moved to second base on a sacrifice bunt by senior shortstop Dan Kemp (Sturbridge, Mass.), stole third and scored on an RBI groundout to the shortstop by junior first baseman Zach Mathieu (Derry, N.H.).

Saint Michael's briefly claimed a one-run lead with a pair of runs in the top of the fifth. With one out, junior designated hitter Chris Puliafico reached on an infield single on a dribbler down the third base line. Back-to-back singles to right field by junior second baseman David Valley and junior catcher Jason Moore followed to load the bases for sophomore shortstop Dan McGuirl. He turned on an 0-1 pitch on the inner half and yanked a two-run double down the right-field line.

Franklin Pierce answered immediately with a run in the home half of the fifth to tie the game at 2-2. With one out, sophomore third baseman Matt O'Herron (Springfield, Mass.) started things by getting hit by a pitch. He then went first-to-third on a hit-and-run single through the right side by Dunlap and scored on a sacrifice fly to right by freshman second baseman Justin Brock (Latham, N.Y.).

From there, the teams played the next four innings without a run before the Ravens won it in the bottom of the 10th.

The Ravens return to the field on Saturday, April 6, when they remain home to host Southern Connecticut State in a Northeast-10 Conference, non-divisional doubleheader. First pitch is scheduled for noon 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). Fans wishing to purchase Franklin Pierce baseball apparel can do so at the Department of Athletics' online store (http://athletics.franklinpierce.edu/store).