Junior needs only 105 pitches in complete-game effort

WEST HAVEN, Conn. (May 8, 2015) – Junior right-hander Miles Sheehan (Madison, Conn.) authored a four-hit complete game and piled up a season-high 11 strikeouts on Friday afternoon, as the No. 1/3 nationally ranked Franklin Pierce University baseball team picked up a 4-1 win over Stonehill on the second day of the Northeast-10 Championship, hosted by New Haven. Sophomore third baseman Jay Jabs (Schwenksville, Pa.) and senior right fielder John Razzino (Cranston, R.I.) each scored in the first inning at Frank Vieira Field to start the Ravens on the road to the win, which sent the team through to the final round.

With the win, Franklin Pierce -- the Northeast Division's top seed -- improves to 45-2 and has won 26 in a row, extending the team's program-record winning streak. With the loss, Stonehill -- the third seed out of the Northeast -- falls to 32-12-1.

Franklin Pierce advances to Saturday's final round, beginning at 11 a.m., against an opponent to be determined. The Ravens will need to win just once in two games to claim their record-tying fifth Northeast-10 title. Meanwhile, Stonehill is forced to turn around and play an elimination game at 3:30 p.m. Friday against the Southwest Division's fourth seed, Adelphi (20-20). Adelphi has already staved off elimination once already on Friday, with a 7-2 win over New Haven -- the Southwest's third seed -- in the day's first game. The winner of the Adelphi/Stonehill game would need to defeat Franklin Pierce twice on Saturday to claim the crown.

Sheehan stole the show in the Friday afternoon sunshine, as he made his first start in four weeks and put together his strongest outing of the campaign. He needed just 105 pitches (73 strikes) to dispatch the Skyhawks without allowing an earned run, which served to further lower his already nation-leading earned run average to 0.34. With more baseball to come for the Ravens, time will tell if Sheehan's ERA will move up or down, but 0.34 would be the seventh-lowest mark in Division II history, as well as the lowest in Division II since Steve Dorsch had an 0.27 for Concordia Chicago in 1973.

On Friday, Sheehan allowed just one unearned run on four hits in his first complete game of the season. He walked one, threw a wild pitch and struck out a season-best 11 on the way to the win (6-0).

Stonehill senior right-hander Neal Horan went the distance on the other side as well, throwing 123 pitches (69 strikes) over eight innings. Along the way, he surrendered four runs (three earned) on four hits, walked six, threw a pair of wild pitches and struck out nine while taking the loss (4-3).

As it has done so often in 2015, Franklin Pierce jumped to the lead in the first inning, with a pair of runs in the bottom half of the frame. Jabs worked a six-pitch walk with one out and went first-to-third when Razzino followed with a single through the right side. After Razzino stole second -- his 44th theft of the season -- a wild pitch scored Jabs and moved Razzino to third. The latter then scored from there on a sacrifice fly in foul territory down the right-field line by senior catcher Matt Walsh (Plymouth, Mass.).

The Ravens extended the lead to 3-0 with an unearned run in the bottom of the second inning. Sophomore second baseman Kyle Hood (Arlington, Mass.) took a four-pitch walk leading off, moved to second on an error and went to third on a single through the right side of the infield by junior shortstop Justin Brock (Latham, N.Y.). After Brock stole second, junior center fielder Maxx Sheehan (San Jose, Calif.) dropped down a sacrifice bunt to drive home Hood.

Stonehill got its only run of the day -- an unearned tally -- in the top of the fourth to cut the gap to 3-1. With one out, junior left fielder Brian Campbell turned on a pitch to knock a double to right field. He moved to third on an error and then scored on an RBI groundout on the right side by senior shortstop Dan Fratus.

Franklin Pierce reclaimed the three-run lead and created the 4-1 final with a run in the bottom of the fifth. Jabs went the other way to single through the left side of the infield leading off and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by Razzino. Jabs then stole third and scored on a sacrifice fly to right field by Walsh.

After allowing the unearned run in the fourth, Miles Sheehan retired the side in order in the fifth and later stranded runners in scoring position in both the seventh and eighth innings. He capped his outing by sending the Skyhawks down in order, on just seven pitches, in the top of the ninth to finish off the victory.

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).