Covelle strikes out 12 in nightcap

Box score (Bridgeport)
Box score (Pfeiffer)
***NOTE: all scoring unofficial until after team returns from Myrtle Beach 

MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. (February 22, 2014) – The pitching staff of the No. 7/12 nationally ranked Franklin Pierce University baseball team allowed just one run over 23 innings on Saturday evening, but the Ravens split a pair of neutral-site, non-conference games at The Ripken Experience. Franklin Pierce scored twice in the ninth to claim a 2-0 win over Bridgeport, before later dropping a 1-0, 14-inning affair to Pfeiffer.

With the split, Franklin Pierce moves to 3-1 (0-0 Northeast-10). Bridgeport falls to 2-1 (0-0 East Coast), while Pfeiffer improves to 8-5 (0-0 Conference Carolinas).

Pitching was the name of the game on both sides of the ledger in the first game of the day, highlighted by the work of Bridgeport junior left-hander Brian O'Keefe, who held the Ravens at bay through eight innings and might have kept doing so had his defense not betrayed him. In all, O'Keefe went 8.1 innings, allowed just two unearned runs on five hits, walked one and struck out five, but was saddled with the loss (0-1) anyway. O'Keefe retired 15 of the first 17 batters to come to the plate, faced the minimum through five and did not allow a runner to reach second base until the ninth inning.

On the other side, a trio of Franklin Pierce pitchers combined to twirl a six-hit shutout, the team's second whitewashing in three games to start the season. Graduate student left-hander Rob Corsi (Oceanport, N.J.) took the ball for the first time as a Raven and fired six shutout innings, allowed five hits, walked two and struck out five, but was long gone before the game was decided. Junior right-hander Conor Gleason (North Stonington, Conn.), also making his Franklin Pierce debut, tossed the next two shutout innings, surrendered one hit, hit a batter and struck out two while picking up the win (1-0). After the Ravens scored twice in the top of the ninth, junior right-hander Doug Willey (Shelburne, N.H.) earned his first save of the season by working around a two-out dropped third strike to toss a hitless ninth with three strikeouts.

For its part, Bridgeport only got five runners to scoring position against the trio of Ravens pitchers. Only one of those runners reached third base, and was left stranded there in the top of the fourth.

After the first eight innings went without either side scoring, Franklin Pierce sent eight men to the plate and struck for a pair of unearned runs in the top of the ninth to come away winners. With one out, sophomore shortstop Justin Brock (Latham, N.Y.) reached on an error by Bridgeport junior third baseman Mike Perry. After going first-to-third on a single by senior center fielder Calvin Graves (Boston, Mass.), Brock scored on a sacrifice fly to center by junior right fielder John Razzino (Cranston, R.I.). However, Bridgeport senior center fielder Brock Roggie did not catch said fly ball, which allowed Razzino to reach at first and Graves to move to second. After a double steal moved runners to second and third and a hit batsman loaded the bases, sophomore first baseman Matt O'Herron (Springfield, Mass.) lifted another fly ball to center. Again Roggie could not make the play, though O'Herron got credit for a sacrifice fly anyway, as the fly would have likely scored Graves from third regardless.

The men on the mound continued to steal the show in the day's second game, which featured 13 scoreless innings before things were decided by a lone run in the top of the 14th. With one out, Pfeiffer junior left fielder Cole McGraw singled, moved to second on a hit batsman and went to third on a walk which loaded the bases. Junior designated hitter Izzy Perez followed and lifted a sacrifice fly to center field to plate the game's only run.

Earlier in the day, sophomore right-hander Paul Covelle (Medford, Mass.) made his second career start and was brilliant through eight shutout innings before leaving without a decision. He allowed just four hits, walked one and piled up 12 strikeouts, equaling his season total from a year ago in his first outing of 2014. Willey came back to fire three more shutout innings in his second appearance of the day, but also would not hang around long enough to factor in the decision. Junior right-hander Paul Fahey (Dorchester, Mass.) was ultimately tagged with the loss (0-1) for Franklin Pierce. Over 2.1 innings, he allowed one run on one hit, walked one and hit a batter.

On the other side of the diamond, junior right-hander Tyler Lequire spun nine shutout innings for Pfeiffer before also leaving without a decision. He allowed just two hits and two walks while striking out nine. Sophomore right-hander Hunter Jobe tossed the next four innings to pick up the win (2-0) while allowing one hit and striking out two. Junior right-hander Dylan Norris worked around a pair of baserunners, including a hit batter, to strike out two and pick up his fourth save of the season.

The Ravens return to the field on Sunday, Feb. 23, to wrap up their five-game trip to Myrtle Beach, when they square off with Nyack at 9:30 a.m. at The Ripken Experience.

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).