Ravens two back of Bentley in loss column heading into final week

NORTH ANDOVER, Mass. (April 28, 2013) – A sinking line drive off the bat of senior right fielder Mark O'Flynn bounced off the glove of a diving right fielder for a game-winning RBI single in the bottom of the ninth in the second game of a Saturday afternoon doubleheader, as the No. 20/23 nationally ranked Franklin Pierce University baseball team suffered a 3-2 loss to Merrimack in Northeast-10 Conference Northeast Division play at Warrior Baseball Diamond. In the first game, Merrimack got to junior right-hander Kevin McGowan (Nashua, N.H.) for four extra-base hits in just 4.1 innings on the way to a 7-3 victory. The Franklin Pierce offense mustered only five runs on 11 hits over the two games and left 14 men in scoring position in the twinbill.

With the losses, Franklin Pierce falls to 28-15 (18-6 Northeast-10, 11-6 Northeast Division), while Merrimack improves to 23-16 (14-11 Northeast-10, 9-8 Northeast Division). Franklin Pierce now sits second in the Northeast Division, two games behind Bentley in the loss column. The Ravens have four games coming up in the final week of the regular season, while the Falcons have five, including a halted game they trail 5-2 through four innings which will be completed on Monday. Franklin Pierce needs one win this week to clinch a spot in the Northeast-10 Championship and any combination of four Franklin Pierce wins and Southern New Hampshire losses to clinch a home game in the first round.

Having already left three runners in scoring position through the first four innings of the first game and trailing 5-1, Franklin Pierce firmly established the trend of the day in the top of the fifth. After two walks and a single loaded the bases with one out, the Ravens left all three runners out there, as sophomore designated hitter Matt Walsh (Plymouth, Mass.) struck out to end an eight-pitch battle and junior catcher Marty Dunlap (Dorchester, Mass.) grounded out to second base.

Two innings later, in the top of the seventh, the Ravens pushed across an unearned run to cut the lead to 5-2. With one out, senior shortstop Dan Kemp (Sturbridge, Mass.) was hit by a pitch and moved to second two batters later when senior right fielder Nick LaCroix (Grafton, Mass.) reached on an error. After a double steal moved the runners to second and third, Walsh was hit by a pitch to load the bases. A wild pitch brought home one run, but then Dunlap grounded out to second as Franklin Pierce left runners at second and third.

The seven men left in scoring position had kept Franklin Pierce from capping the comeback through six-and-a-half innings, and then Merrimack moved the finish line by plating two in the home half of the seventh to push the lead to 7-2. Junior first baseman Eddie Newton started things with a two-out bloop single into shallow left field and he moved to second when freshman shortstop Mike Forgione grounded the ball past a diving third baseman and through the hole in the left side. With two outs, the runners were able to break on contact, which proved pivotal as sophomore catcher Dionys Quezada hit a slow, seeing-eye groundball back up the middle. Newton scored easily, and then the ball ran out of steam in shallow center field. As both middle infielders had attempted to cut the ball off before it got through, sophomore center fielder John Razzino (Cranston, R.I.) was left with a long run to retrieve the ball, which allowed Forgione to score all the way from first on the single.

Franklin Pierce picked up a run in the top of the eighth to create the 7-3 final. Razzino knocked a lead-off single into right-center and moved to second on a balk. He moved to third on a groundout on the right side by O'Herron and scored on an RBI groundout by freshman second baseman Justin Brock (Latham, N.Y.).

Earlier in the game, Merrimack had opened the scoring with a run in the bottom of the second. Newton opened the frame with a single to center, stole second and scored on an RBI single to right by Quezada.

Franklin Pierce answered with an unearned run in the top of the third to tie the game at 1-1. With one out, junior left fielder Calvin Graves (Boston, Mass.) was hit by a pitch. Graves stole second and moved to third on the play as Quezada threw the ball away. Graves would then score from third on a squeeze play, as Kemp dropped down a bunt and reached at first as Merrimack attempted to make a play on Graves at the plate which was ultimately unsuccessful.

Merrimack reclaimed the lead immediately with two runs in the home half of the third. The inning started at the top of the order with senior left fielder Casey Cotter, who clubbed a triple into the gap in left-center and scored when freshman third baseman Frank Crinella followed with a sacrifice fly to center. O'Flynn was hit by a pitch to start things again with one out. He then stole second and went to third on the play as Dunlap threw the ball away. Senior designated hitter Joe Mantoni followed with an RBI single to right-center to plate O'Flynn.

The Warriors brought home two more runs in the bottom of the fourth to push the lead to 5-1. Quezada bashed a lead-off double into left-center field, moved to third on a sacrifice bunt and scored on an RBI double down the right-field line by freshman center fielder Bobby Losanno. Losanno would score two batters later on an RBI single to left by Crinella.

McGowan took the ball for Franklin Pierce and was roughed up in what would be his second-shortest start of the season. Over 4.1 innings, he was forced to throw 80 pitches, allowed five runs on eight hits, did not issue a walk, hit two batters and struck out one.

Sophomore right-hander Junior Vazquez started for Merrimack and left with the lead, but did not qualify to win as he was forced out before finishing the fifth inning. He needed 96 pitches to get 14 outs over 4.2 innings, was charged with one unearned run on two hits, walked five, hit two batters, threw two wild pitches and struck out four. Senior right-hander Beau Batchelor tossed the next 2.1 innings without allowing a hit, gave up one unearned run, hit two batters, threw a wild pitch and struck out two to pick up the win (3-1) out of the bullpen.

The second game was tied 2-2 heading to the bottom of the ninth and appeared headed for extra innings after junior right-hander Ryan Leach (Farmingdale, Maine) struck out the first two batters of the frame. However, the lineup flipped back to the top for Cotter and the Warriors rallied with two outs to plate the winning run. Cotter singled through the right side to start things and then stole second. Quezada worked a walk to put runners at first and second for O'Flynn, who turned on a 1-1 pitch and hit a line drive to right field. LaCroix got a good jump on the sinking line drive, but the ball did not hang up long enough. LaCroix dove coming in and towards the line on the ball and got a glove on it, but could not corral it, as it bounced away for a game-winning single.

Earlier, after the first four innings went scoreless, Merrimack broke the ice with an unearned run in the bottom of the fifth. With one out, Losanno walked on five pitches and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt. The Ravens elected to intentionally walk Cotter to set up the force at any base, but Leach immediately undid that by uncorking a wild pitch. Leach and Brock then ran a pickoff play with the latter creeping in behind Cotter at second, but the throw was in the dirt and off the bag on the right-field side. Brock could not corral the ball and it skipped away, allowing Losanno to score on the throwing error.

Franklin Pierce answered with a run in the top of the sixth to tie the game at 1-1. Junior first baseman Zach Mathieu (Derry, N.H.) led off and ripped the fourth pitch of the inning over the head of Cotter in left field for a double. Mathieu moved to third on a sacrifice bunt and scored on an RBI double off the fence in deep left-center field by Walsh, who caught the second game.

Merrimack reclaimed the lead right away with a run in the home half of the sixth. With one out, Mantoni was hit by a pitch, but was erased at second base as Newton bounced into a fielder's choice for the second out. Newton stole second and scored on an RBI single to right by Forgione.

Again Franklin Pierce responded, this time with a run in the top of the eighth, which ultimately set up the ninth-inning dramatics. Again Mathieu was the lead-off hitter, and this time he walked on four straight pitches, before moving to second on a sacrifice bunt. Walsh followed with his second RBI hit of the game, lining a single back up the middle to score Mathieu.

Sophomore left-hander Steve Hathaway (Acton, Mass.) made his first start since March 2 in the second game for Franklin Pierce. Still returning from an injury, he was not ready to go deep into the game and was lifted after three shutout innings and 47 pitches. He allowed three hits and struck out three while facing 11 batters. Leach took over from there and threw the final 5.2 innings, needing 114 pitches to do so. He allowed three runs (two earned) on four hits, walked three (one intentionally), hit three batters, threw a wild pitch and struck out nine while taking the loss (4-4).

Junior right-hander Alek Morency toed the rubber for Merrimack and threw 108 pitches over seven innings. He allowed one run on six hits, walked one, struck out seven and did not factor in the decision. Mantoni moved from the designated hitter spot to the mound with one out in the eighth and finished the game for the Warriors, allowing one hit and striking out one over 1.2 shutout innings. He picked up the win (3-0) after O'Flynn's game-winning single.

The Ravens return to the field on Tuesday, April 30, when they travel to Saint Anselm for a Northeast-10 Conference Northeast Division contest. First pitch is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. at Sullivan Park in Manchester, N.H.

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).