Covelle goes distance in second game

RINDGE, N.H. (April 25, 2015) – The No. 1/3 nationally ranked Franklin Pierce University baseball team plated eight runs in the bottom of the third inning and junior right-hander Paul Covelle (Medford, Mass.) went the distance on the mound in the second game of a doubleheader on Saturday night, as the Ravens completed a doubleheader sweep of Assumption with an 11-2 win in Northeast-10 Conference, Northeast Division play at Dr. Arthur and Martha Pappas Field. In the first game, sophomore third baseman Jay Jabs (Schwenksville, Pa.) and junior shortstop Justin Brock (Latham, N.Y.) had three hits each, while senior right-hander Brendan O'Rourke (Shrewsbury, Mass.) struck out nine over 5.2 innings in a 9-4 Franklin Pierce win.

With the wins, Franklin Pierce improves to 37-2 (19-1 Northeast-10, 15-1 Northeast Division) and has won 18 in a row, to set a program record for consecutive wins for the second time this year. The team previously won 16 in a row to open the campaign. With the losses, Assumption falls to 8-26 (4-14 Northeast-10, 4-12 Northeast Division). The two teams will meet for the final game of the weekend series on Sunday at 1 p.m. at Pappas Field.

In the first game, the Ravens jumped to a 3-0 lead they would never relinquish, with three runs in the bottom of the first inning. Junior center fielder Maxx Sheehan (San Jose, Calif.) led off with a double down the left-field line, moved to third on a groundout and scored on an RBI infield single by senior right fielder John Razzino (Cranston, R.I.). Razzino then stole second and scored on a double down the left-field line by sophomore designated hitter Chris LaVorgna (North Haven, Conn.). LaVorgna stole third and then executed a straight steal of home as well, to score the final run of the inning.

Assumption scratched out an unearned run in the top of the fifth and an earned run in the top of the sixth to cut the gap to 3-2. With two outs in the fifth, junior catcher Tom Paine wound up with a "Little League home run", as he dunked a blooper into shallow center field. Both Brock and sophomore second baseman Kyle Hood (Arlington, Mass.) elected to go out after the ball, which left second base unattended. As Jabs and O'Rourke scrambled to cover second base, Paine rounded first and took off for the keystone bag as well, looking for a hustle double. Sheehan corralled the ball in center and fired it towards second, but his throw sailed high, over everybody's head. With nobody left to backup the play, the ball rolled all the way into the third-base dugout. As Paine had already reached second, the two bases awarded with the ball out of play allowed him to score on the error.

In the sixth, sophomore right fielder Ben O'Donnell turned on a pitch with one out and deposited his second home run of the season, a solo shot, an estimated 370 feet to straightaway right field.

Franklin Pierce recovered to break the game open with five runs in the bottom of the seventh to take an 8-2 lead. Brock started the inning loudly, with a leadoff triple the other way into the gap in right-center field. Sheehan was next, and a walk to him spelled the end of the day for Assumption junior left-hander Anthony Perry. Sophomore shortstop Matt Murphy moved from the infield to the mound, and would ultimately allow both inherited runners, and three addition runs, to score. After Murphy's appearance began with back-to-back strike outs, senior catcher Matt Walsh (Plymouth, Mass.) hit a hard line drive the other way, which snuck over the head of O'Donnell in right and turned into a two-run double. LaVorgna followed with a single to right and took second, as O'Donnell's throw towards the plate airmailed the cutoff man, though Walsh had already been held up at third. Junior left fielder Kurtis White (Nahant, Mass.) pushed a safety squeeze bunt on the third-base side and wound up with an RBI single, as Walsh came in to score. After White stole second, Hood followed and dumped an RBI single inside the right-field line to score White and cap the inning's scoring.

The Ravens added another run in the bottom of the eighth to push the lead to 9-2. Brock led off with a single back through the middle, stole second and scored on an RBI single to right by Jabs.

Assumption picked up a pair of runs in the top of the ninth to create the 9-4 final. With one out, junior center fielder Michael Panza reached on an infield single and moved to second when Paine followed with a walk. Sophomore third baseman Mike Coggeshall cashed in both runs by going the other way for a two-run double down the left-field line.

O'Rourke threw 90 pitches (55 strikes) over the first 5.2 innings on the mound for Franklin Pierce. He allowed two runs (one earned) on seven hits, walked two, hit a batter and struck out nine to pick up the win (9-0). Senior right-hander Paul Fahey (Dorchester, Mass.) tossed 47 pitches (27 pitches) over the final 3.1 innings to notch his second save of the season. He allowed two runs on two hits, walked two, hit a batter and struck out one.

On the other side of the diamond, Perry threw 96 pitches (57 strikes) over six-plus innings. He was charged with five runs on nine hits, walked three and struck out one while taking the loss (1-6).

In the second game, Franklin Pierce opened the scoring by sending 11 men to the plate and scoring eight runs in the bottom of the third inning. Jabs had the big blow of the inning, a three-run moonshot of a home run -- estimated at 375 feet -- to straightaway right field. Also in the inning, Sheehan, LaVorgna and Hood all had RBI singles.

Assumption picked up single runs in the top of the fifth and sixth innings to cut the gap to 8-2. In the fifth, freshman right fielder Jordan Roper led off with a single through the right side, moved to second on a sacrifice bunt and scored on an RBI double down the left-field line by senior left fielder Billy Johnson. In the sixth, senior first baseman Greg O'Donnell hit a line-drive double to right-center with one out, moved to third on a ground out and scored on a wild pitch.

Franklin Pierce plated a run in the seventh and two in the eighth to create the 11-2 final. In the seventh, Jabs tripled and later scored on an RBI single by Razzino. In the eighth, freshman Bobby Schryver (Ansonia, Conn.) doubled, Hood doubled, and both scored on an two-run double by senior Bryan Dionicio (West Hartford, Conn.).

Covelle used 114 pitches (75 strikes) to throw his first complete game of the season on the mound for the Ravens. He allowed two runs, scattered six hits, walked two, threw a wild pitch and struck out seven to pick up the win (4-0).

For Assumption, freshman right-hander Kyle Chudoba threw 56 pitches (30 strikes) and was knocked out of the game after just 2.1 innings. He was charged with eight runs on six hits, walked two, hit one, threw a wild pitch and struck out one while taking the loss (1-5).

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).