No. 30 Baseball Flirts with Upset, Furious Ninth-Inning Rally Comes Up Just Shy in 8-7 Loss at No. 1/1 Tampa

Razzino, Walsh slug solo home runs

TAMPA, Fla. (March 19, 2014) – Trailing 8-4, the No. 30 nationally ranked Franklin Pierce University baseball team had five straight players reach base to start the top of the ninth inning and got the tying run as far as third base on Wednesday night, but came up just short in an 8-7 loss to No. 1/1 nationally ranked Tampa in non-conference play at University of Tampa Baseball Field. Franklin Pierce built a 4-0 lead early, before Tampa scored eight straight runs, en route to its 18th consecutive victory, in the roller coaster affair.

With the loss, Franklin Pierce falls to 13-7 (0-0 Northeast-10), while Tampa, the defending national champion, improves to 25-1 (6-0 Sunshine State). It was the third straight game, all Tampa wins, decided by either one or two runs between the two perennial national powers, which have met annually since 2012. The game also wrapped up a six-game Florida swing (3-3) for Franklin Pierce, which now has nothing but East Region opponents on the schedule over its final 30 regular-season games.

Facing a four-run deficit, Franklin Pierce refused to go quietly into the Florida night in the ninth inning. Working against senior right-hander Kevin McNorton, senior center fielder Calvin Graves (Boston, Mass.) led off with a first-pitch single back up the middle. Junior right fielder John Razzino (Cranston, R.I.) followed with a five-pitch walk and freshman third baseman Jay Jabs (Schwenksville, Pa.) knocked a second-pitch single through the right side of the infield to load the bases with nobody out.

The tying run came to the plate in the form of junior catcher Matt Walsh (Plymouth, Mass.), who dumped a first-pitch RBI single into left-center to score Graves and move everybody else up a base. Sophomore first baseman Matt O'Herron (Springfield, Mass.) kept the line moving by pulling an 0-2 pitch through the left side to plate Razzino and again keep the bases loaded. Senior designated hitter Marty Dunlap (Dorchester, Mass.) followed with an RBI groundout to third to pull Franklin Pierce within a run, move the tying run to third with one out and put the go-ahead run at second.

Tampa elected to intentionally walk freshman left fielder Chris LaVorgna (North Haven, Conn.) to load the bases with one away for freshman second baseman Kyle Hood (Arlington, Mass.). The move proved to be one which worked out, as Hood struck out looking on a 1-2 pitch, leaving the game in the balance for junior Rob Chooljian (Hampton, N.H.), who came to the plate as a pinch hitter. McNorton got Chooljian to hit a groundball to third, where junior third baseman Domenic Millan fielded it cleanly and stepped on third base for the game-ending force out.

Earlier on Wednesday night, the Ravens opened the scoring with a run in the top of the second inning. O'Herron worked a five-pitch lead-off walk, moved to second on a single back up the middle by Dunlap and took third when LaVorgna flied out to center field. With runners at the corners and one away, Hood hit a groundball to shortstop which turned into an RBI fielder's choice as Dunlap was erased at second base.

Franklin Pierce picked up two runs in the top of the third to push the lead to 3-0. With one out, Razzino clubbed a first-pitch solo home run to left-center field, his third of the season, to tie for the team lead. Two batters later, Walsh was also swinging on the first pitch and slugged a solo home run to center field, his first of the season.

Another run in the top of the fourth made it a 4-0 lead for the Ravens. Dunlap opened the frame by pulling a double to left field and moved to third on a flyout to center by LaVorgna. Dunlap had to stay put at third as Hood reached with an infield single to third, but then came home to score when sophomore shortstop Justin Brock (Latham, N.Y.) followed and lifted a sacrifice fly to right field.

The Tampa offense capitalized on a Franklin Pierce error and a temporary lapse of command by senior right-hander Ryan Leach (Farmingdale, Maine) on the hill to plate three runs in the home half of the fourth to cut the gap to 4-3. Senior center fielder Connor Obrochta was hit by a pitch leading off and went all the way around to third when junior left fielder Stephen Dezzi reached on an error by Hood at second base. Senior third baseman Tyler Ding cashed in Obrochta from third immediately with an RBI single through the right side of the infield, which also allowed Dezzi to go first-to-third. After a strikeout for the first out of the inning, junior catcher Tyler York coaxed a walk out of a full count to load the bases. Up came senior designated hitter Sean O'Brien, who knocked a two-run single to right-center to drive home Dezzi and Ding.

The Spartans picked up two more runs in the bottom of the sixth to take a 5-4 lead, but Franklin Pierce was able to escape what could have been a disastrous inning. With one out, York reached on an infield single and moved to second as O'Brien took a four-pitch walk. Senior Michael Danner came to the plate as a pinch hitter and took a five-pitch walk of his own to load the bases. Junior second baseman Orlando Rivera brought home York with the first run of the inning by knocking a full-count, RBI single to left field to tie the game at 4-4. Leach then hit senior shortstop Jacob Tillotson with a 1-0 pitch to force home O'Brien with the go-ahead run.

The hit batsman spelled the end of the day for Leach, who was replaced by graduate student left-hander Rob Corsi (Oceanport, N.J.). Corsi ran the count full to Obrochta before rolling up a 6-4-3, inning-ending double play to keep the Ravens within a run.

Tampa picked up an insurance run in the bottom of the seventh to push the lead to 6-4. With one out, Ding put a first-pitch single through the left side of the infield and moved to second when junior first baseman Nick Tindall was retired on a groundball back to the pitcher. Ding scored from second on an RBI single through the right side by York.

The Ravens got the tying run to scoring position in the top of the eighth, but ultimately came up empty. With one out, Dunlap singled to center and moved to second on an infield single on the left side by LaVorgna. A groundout back to the pitcher by Hood moved the runners to second and third with two away, but Brock bounced out to the shortstop to end the threat.

The Spartans picked up two more runs to stretch the lead to 8-4 in what proved to be a pivotal home half of the eighth inning before the wild top of the ninth. Danner was hit by a pitch to open the inning and later stole both second and third. With two outs and Danner still at third, Obrochta ran the count full and then took a walk. Danner came home to score on a wild pitch, which also allowed Obrochta to move all the way around to third. Obrochta scored from there when Dezzi followed with an RBI single through the right side.

Leach started on the mound for Franklin Pierce, threw 113 pitches over 5.1 innings and ultimately suffered the loss (3-1). He allowed five runs (four earned) on five hits, walked four, hit two batters, threw a wild pitch and struck out seven.

Sophomore left-hander Brad Hencke took the ball for Tampa, but left after four innings and did not factor in the decision. He allowed four runs on six hits, walked one and struck out one while throwing 59 pitches. Fellow sophomore southpaw Michael Calkins threw shutout ball over the next 2.2 innings to pick up the win (3-0) out of the bullpen. He allowed one hit, walked two and struck out three.

The Ravens return to the field on Saturday, March 22, when they travel to Adelphi for a Northeast-10 Conference, cross-division doubleheader. First pitch is scheduled for noon at William J. Bonomo Memorial Field in Garden City, N.Y.

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).