Brock scores twice

MOUNT OLIVE, N.C. (March 15, 2016) – Despite being held without an extra-base hit on Tuesday night, the No. 4/9 nationally ranked Franklin Pierce University baseball team scratched together five runs at Scarborough Field, but it would not be enough, as the Ravens dropped a 7-5, non-conference decision to Mount Olive. Senior first baseman Joe Koehler and senior designated hitter Stephen Wallace hit back-to-back home runs in the third, as the Trojans took the lead for good.

With the loss, Franklin Pierce falls to 13-2, while Mount Olive improves to 10-10.

Franklin Pierce opened the scoring in a hurry on Tuesday night, with two runs in the top of the first inning. Senior center fielder Maxx Sheehan (San Jose, Calif.) led off the game with a bunt single and stole second in front of a seven-pitch walk to senior shortstop Justin Brock (Latham, N.Y.). With junior third baseman Jay Jabs (Schwenksville, Pa.) at the plate, a wild pitch from Mount Olive freshman right-hander Josh Flott eluded the catcher for long enough to allow Sheehan to score from second and Brock to move to third. After a walk to Jabs, junior designated hitter Chris LaVorgna (North Haven, Conn.) drove home Brock with a single to center, though the Ravens would leave what proved to be a costly two men on base in the inning.

Mount Olive evened things with two runs in the bottom of the second inning. Wallace was hit by a pitch leading off and moved to second on a walk to junior right fielder Duke Hill. Hill would move to second as junior left fielder David Mayo attempted to sacrifice, but the Franklin Pierce defense was able to force out Wallace at third. Two batters later, Hill would score from second on an RBI single to right by sophomore second baseman Jack Sherrill, which also pushed Mayo around to third. The latter would score from there when senior center fielder Zak Orrison followed with an RBI single to center field.

The Trojans struck for a 4-2 lead they would never relinquish with the pair of solo home runs in the bottom of the third. With one out, Koehler turned on a 2-1 pitch and dumped it over the right-field wall to give Mount Olive the lead with his fifth homer of the year, which would spell the end of the day for the Franklin Pierce starting pitcher, junior right-hander Sam Steeves (Dorchester, Mass.). Senior right-hander Tanner Bird (Adams, Mass.) took over on the hill and was greeted rudely by Wallace, who launched Bird's fourth pitch of the night over the left-field wall for his second home run of the season.

Franklin Pierce cut the lead to 4-3 with a run in the top of the fourth, but could get no closer. Graduate student left fielder Matt Burns (Parkland, Fla.) walked leading off and went first-to-third as senior second baseman Kurtis White (Nahant, Mass.) dropped down a bunt and reached on an error. Burns would later score on a wild pitch.

Mount Olive tacked on a trio of important insurance runs against the Ravens bullpen in the bottom of the sixth inning to push the lead to 7-3. Mayo doubled the other way down the right-field line leading off and moved to third on a sacrifice bunt. After Sherrill walked, an errant pickoff throw allowed Mayo to score and advanced Sherrill to second. Three batters later, after junior third baseman Bradley Ragan had been hit by a pitch, senior catcher Brett Lang drove home two more runs with a triple into the right-field corner.

Franklin Pierce picked up two runs in the top of the eighth to create the 7-5 final. Brock singled through the left side of the infield leading off and moved to second when Jabs was hit by a pitch. After a groundout moved the runners up, Burns drove home Brock with an infield single. Two batters later, Jabs scored when White lashed an RBI single into center field. However, White would be the final baserunner of the night for Franklin Pierce, as the Mount Olive bullpen retired the final four Ravens batters to keep the final score at 7-5.

Steeves (0-1) made his first collegiate start on the mound for the Ravens and threw 51 pitches (32 strikes) over 2.1 innings. He allowed three runs on three hits, walked two, hit a batter and struck out two while taking the loss.

For Mount Olive, Flott (1-2) threw 100 pitches (56 strikes) over seven-plus innings to pick up the win. He was charged with four runs on three hits, walked five, hit a batter, threw two wild pitches and struck out three. Junior right-hander Austin Hutchison recorded the final six outs without allowing a run on two hits and struck out three to pick up the two-inning save (1).

The Ravens return to the field on Friday, March 18, when they meet Dowling for a non-conference, neutral-site doubleheader. First pitch is set for 1 p.m. at the USA Baseball National Training Complex in Cary, N.C.

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).