Graham fans eight in eight innings

RINDGE, N.H. (April 10, 2013) – Two of the last three NCAA Championship East Regional champions met at Dr. Arthur and Martha Pappas Field on Wednesday afternoon, and each threw its ace starting pitcher in one of the most highly-anticipated matchups of the season thus far. While both teams generated similar levels of offense on the day, Southern New Hampshire used a three-run fifth inning to defeat the No. 19/19 nationally ranked Franklin Pierce University baseball team, 4-1, in Northeast-10 Conference Northeast Division play.

With the loss, Franklin Pierce falls to 22-10 (12-1 Northeast-10, 5-1 Northeast Division), while Southern New Hampshire improves to 21-10 (7-7 Northeast-10, 4-3 Northeast Division). The loss snaps a 12-game winning streak, which will remain tied with the program record for most consecutive victories. It goes into the books as the fifth 12-game winning streak in program history.

The afternoon's pitching duel came as advertised, as Franklin Pierce junior right-hander Trevor Graham (Sebastian, Fla.) and SNHU junior right-hander Junior Mendez frustrated each other's offenses through eight innings each, with a gaggle of scouts on hand to gauge both hurlers. The stats came out nearly identical as each allowed seven hits in eight frames, with Graham using 125 pitches to Mendez's 121. Mendez faced 32 batters on the afternoon, while Graham faced 31, and each got nine of those batters -- or, a little over a quarter -- to hit groundball outs. Graham was slightly more overpowering, striking out eight while walking none (though he did hit a batter), as Mendez fanned five while walking one.

Mendez was able to scatter his seven hits on his way to the win (6-1), allowing only two hits in an inning on one occasion: the home half of the first, when the Ravens opened the scoring. With one out, senior shortstop Dan Kemp (Sturbridge, Mass.) went the other way and lined a single into right field. He then stole second and went to third on the play as the throw escaped into center field. Kemp would score from third as junior first baseman Zach Mathieu (Derry, N.H.) started in an 0-2 hole, but worked the count full before dumping an RBI single into right field.

Meanwhile, Graham was hampered only by a four-hit, three-run top of the fifth inning which turned the tide of the game and ultimately led to the loss (4-1). Outside of that fifth inning, Graham did not allow a runner past first base in his outing.

Neither pitcher's defense did him any favors, a fact most obvious by the three errors SNHU committed behind Mendez, though in the end, none would lead to runs. While no errors were charged in the top of the fifth inning, poor defense was at least partly to blame for the three-run frame when the Penmen took the lead for good. With the Ravens holding a 1-0 lead, SNHU senior catcher Andy Lalli led off the frame with a full-count single into left. Wollerman was next and showed bunt very early, leading sophomore third baseman Matt O'Herron (Springfield, Mass.) to creep more than halfway down the line from third as the pitch was being thrown. Wollerman took the first pitch for a ball, but squared early again on the ensuing pitch. Despite calls of "Watch the slash!" -- a play where a batter pulls back after showing bunt and swings away -- from his infield mates, O'Herron charged forward again. The warning proved accurate, as Wollerman pulled the bat back and chopped a single past O'Herron and through his vacated position to put runners at first and second.

A sacrifice bunt moved the runners to second and third, and then Lalli would score to tie the game at 1-1 on a single back through the middle by junior center fielder Brendan O'Brien. Wollerman had to hold to see the line drive through, and then broke for third late, which proved to be a key part of the play. Junior center fielder Calvin Graves (Boston, Mass.) -- with no chance to cut down Wollerman -- threw to third anyway, which allowed O'Brien to take second after his single. This put two in scoring position with one out, and though Graham bounced back to strike out graduate student left fielder Andrew Pezzuto, senior shortstop Matt Boulter followed and lined a 2-2 pitch straight back up the middle for a two-run, two-out single.

Graham settled back in after the fifth, as he didn't allow a runner beyond first in the sixth, despite a pair of singles, as sophomore catcher Matt Walsh (Plymouth, Mass.) picked one off from behind the plate. Graham would retire six straight over the seventh and eighth innings to complete his outing, and punctuated his afternoon with two of his eight strikeouts coming in the eighth inning. After blowing an 0-2 fastball by junior third baseman Riley Palmer to end the eighth Graham pumped both fists and let out a yell of "Yeah! Come on!" as he made his way off the mound.

However, his offense would go in order in the home half of the eighth, and SNHU would add an unearned insurance run in the top of the ninth. Senior right fielder Jon Minucci took a five-pitch walk leading off against Franklin Pierce junior right-hander Ryan Leach (Farmingdale, Maine). Two batters later, Lalli dumped a single into left-center which should have put runners at first and second, but sophomore left fielder John Razzino (Cranston, R.I.) overran the ball trying to pick it up, which would allow Minucci to come all the way around to score. The SNHU closer, junior right-hander Alex Powers came on for the bottom of the ninth and overpowered the Franklin Pierce six, seven and eight hitters in succession to earn his fifth save of the season.

Earlier, after it had taken the 1-0 lead, Franklin Pierce saw a golden opportunity to add on go by the boards in the bottom of the second. Razzino opened the inning and hit a third-pitch ground ball to the left of the second baseman, Wollerman, who fielded the ball cleanly, but never planted before he threw. As a result, the ball sailed over the head of the first baseman and Razzino reached on an error. After the misplay, a single to center by O'Herron and a sacrifice bunt put runners at second and third with one out. However, Mendez struck out freshman second baseman Justin Brock (Latham, N.Y.) on three pitches and got Graves to line out to center to end the threat.

The Ravens return to the field on Saturday, April 13 and Sunday, April 14, when they travel to Bentley for a three-game, Northeast-10 Conference, Northeast Division series. The teams will square off in a doubleheader at noon on Saturday and a single game at 1 p.m. on Sunday at DeFelice Field in Waltham, Mass. Franklin Pierce next plays at home on Tuesday, April 16 against Saint Anselm at 6 p.m.

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).