Sheehan 3-for-3, scores three times

RINDGE, N.H. (May 5, 2015) – Sophomore right-hander Mike Lundin (Kingston, Mass.) struck out nine over 7.1 innings as the No. 1/3 nationally ranked and top seeded Franklin Pierce University baseball team erased some bad memories from the last two years with an 11-4 win over fourth seeded Merrimack in the Northeast Division first round of the Northeast-10 Conference Championship. The Ravens plated five runs in the bottom of the second to break the game open and help energize an announced crowd of 320 at Dr. Arthur and Martha Pappas Field.

With the win, Franklin Pierce improves to 43-2 and has won 24 in a row, extending the team's program-record winning streak. With the loss, Merrimack sees its season come to a close at 17-18. Franklin Pierce notched its first win in the first round of the Northeast-10 Championship since 2012, as the team fell at home to Merrimack in 2013 and to Stonehill a year ago. The Ravens advance to the double-elimination portion of the Northeast-10 Championship, which will be hosted by New Haven -- the third seed out of the Southwest Division -- on Thursday through Saturday, May 7-9, at Frank Vieira Field in West Haven, Conn. Franklin Pierce will open with the host Chargers on Thursday, at a time to be announced.

Franklin Pierce was the only higher seed to win in the first round on Tuesday, as the other three games all featured upsets. In the other Northeast Division tilt, third seeded Stonehill won on the road at second seed Southern New Hampshire, 4-3. In the Southwest Division, fourth seed Adelphi topped first seed Pace, 6-2, while third seeded New Haven trumped second seed American International, 7-2.

The crowd was very much a part of the game's story on Tuesday night under the lights at Pappas Field. The fans -- which included 211 Franklin Pierce students, representing over 12% of the institution's undergraduate population -- appeared energized by the play on the field, while the team acknowledged the fan support had an impact on them as well.

"That had to be the biggest crowd I've seen in my time here," said junior first baseman Matt O'Herron (Springfield, Mass.) after the game. "It's always nice to see a lot of fans out here. They motivate us to play better, they make us hungrier, and tonight they helped us get that first round monkey off our backs."

After Lundin stranded runners at first and second with a strikeout of Merrimack junior designated hitter Matt Brown in the top of the first, Franklin Pierce opened the scoring with a run in the home half of the inning. Junior center fielder Maxx Sheehan (San Jose, Calif.) started the inning with a second-pitch double the other way down the right-field line, moved to third on a wild pitch and later scored on an RBI single pulled through the left side of the infield by senior catcher Matt Walsh (Plymouth, Mass.).

Lundin worked around a two out single in the top of the second inning, and then the Ravens struck for five runs in the bottom half to break the game open and push the lead to 6-0. Sophomore designated hitter Chris LaVorgna (North Haven, Conn.) dumped a leadoff single into left-center and stole second, the first of five stolen bases on the night for Franklin Pierce. LaVorgna moved to third on a groundout and scored on an RBI single back through the middle by junior left fielder Kurtis White (Nahant, Mass.). White stole second, moved to third on a groundout and scored on a safety squeeze on the left side by Sheehan, which the latter easily beat out for an RBI bunt single.

With the Northeast-10 Player of the Year, sophomore third baseman Jay Jabs (Schwenksville, Pa.), at the plate, Sheehan stole second, though the theft ultimately proved unnecessary. Jabs turned on a 1-1 pitch and hit it an estimated 350 feet to straightaway right, and the ball narrowly cleared both the fence and the leaping Merrimack right fielder for a two-run home run, Jabs' conference-leading 13th long ball of the season. Senior right fielder John Razzino (Cranston, R.I.) followed with a double down the right-field line and scored on an RBI single to right by Walsh to cap the inning's scoring.

The big inning left the crowd buzzing at Pappas Field, and the team definitely noticed the ambiance. "The atmosphere was awesome," added O'Herron. "This was one of the most fun games I've ever played in, just because of the fan base. It's always awesome to play in front of your friends and family; we vibe off of that."

Franklin Pierce added single runs in both the fourth and fifth innings to push the lead as high as 8-0. In the fourth, junior shortstop Justin Brock (Latham, N.Y.) picked up a hustle double to left, as he took advantage of Merrimack sophomore left fielder Ryan Petrone being slow to get to the ball. Brock moved to third on an infield single by Sheehan and scored as Jabs bounced into a fielder's choice to drive in his third run of the night. In the fifth, O'Herron slugged a one-out triple into the gap in left-center and later scored on a wild pitch.

Merrimack got on the board with three runs in the top of the sixth to cut the gap to 8-3. Junior third baseman Sean O'Neill took a four-pitch walk with one out before back-to-back infield singles by Petrone and junior center fielder Bobby Losanno loaded the bases. A balk brought home O'Neill with the first run and senior first baseman Dionys Quezada cashed in the remaining pair with a two-run single into left-center with two outs.

Franklin Pierce got the three runs back in the bottom of the eighth to push the lead back up to 11-3. Back-to-back doubles by White and Brock, down the left- and right-field lines, respectively, produced the first run. Brock ultimately scored on a passed ball, while Sheehan was hit by a pitch and eventually came in to score on an error.

Merrimack scratched out a run in the top of the ninth to create the 11-4 final. Freshman catcher Ricky Smith led off with a double down the left-field line, moved to third on a groundout and scored on an RBI single through the right side of the infield by sophomore second baseman Cam DiSarcina.

Lundin threw a season-high 130 pitches (77 strikes) over 7.1 innings on the hill for Franklin Pierce. He allowed three runs on seven hits, walked three, hit a batter and struck out nine on the way to the win (8-0). Just one of the 22 outs Lundin recorded came via a ball in the air, as he rolled up 11 ground-ball outs on the night.

Senior right-hander Joe Carnevale tossed 70 pitches (51 strikes) over 4.1 innings in his final collegiate start. He was ultimately charged with eight runs on 12 hits, walked one, threw a wild pitch and struck out one while taking the loss (4-4).

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).