RINDGE, N.H. (April 9, 2016) – In the first game on Saturday afternoon, freshman right-hander Tanner Putnam (New Boston, N.H.) struck out the final five batters of the game to nail down a 5-3 victory for the No. 2/3 nationally ranked Franklin Pierce University baseball team over Adelphi in Northeast-10 Conference play. However, the four Ravens errors in the first game would serve as foreshadowing, as Adelphi capitalized on three more errors, three wild pitches and a passed ball to rally for a 4-3 win in the second game of the doubleheader at Dr. Arthur and Martha Pappas Field.

With the split, Franklin Pierce now stands at 26-3 (8-1 Northeast-10), while Adelphi moves to 15-12 (5-4 Northeast-10). The loss in the second game snapped Franklin Pierce's season-best win streak at 13.

After three-and-a-half scoreless innings full of odd plays and questionable baserunning on both sides, Franklin Pierce opened the scoring in the first game with a pair of runs in the bottom of the fourth inning. Senior shortstop Justin Brock (Latham, N.Y.) led off with a first-pitch double over the head of the third baseman and down the left-field line. Junior shortstop Jay Jabs (Schwenksville, Pa.) followed and hit a towering fly ball to right-center on a 1-1 pitch. It appeared Jabs did not quite square up the ball, but he got enough of it to hit his fifth home run of the season, a two-run shot of an estimated 370 feet.

The Ravens tacked on two more runs in the bottom of the fifth to double the lead to 4-0. Senior first baseman Matt O'Herron (Springfield, Mass.) led off and ripped the second pitch of the inning on one hop past the shortstop for a single. Three batters later, senior center fielder Maxx Sheehan (San Jose, Calif.) turned on a pitch and ripped a one-hopper past the backhand of the third baseman and down the left-field line for a double, which moved O'Herron to third. Both runners would score as Brock followed and lashed a two-run single into center field.

Another run in the bottom of the sixth pushed the Franklin Pierce lead as high as 5-0. Junior designated hitter Chris LaVorgna (North Haven, Conn.) scorched a line drive back up the middle -- just past the second baseman -- which tailed off into the gap in right-center and turned into a hustle double. The double chased the Adelphi starter -- junior left-hander Matthew O'Connor -- from the game in favor of freshman right-hander Michael Demarest. Graduate student left fielder Matt Burns (Parkland, Fla.) greeted Demarest with a third-pitch single back up the middle to plate LaVorgna.

Adelphi scored all three of its runs in the top of the seventh to create the 5-3 final. Sophomore catcher Kory Cassara opened the inning by taking the second pitch over the fence in straightaway left for his second homer of the season, a solo shot of an estimated 370 feet. Senior right fielder Alex Zykoff then reached on an error by Brock at short and moved to third when Burns lost a fly ball to left in the sun, turning it into a double for sophomore catcher Tyler Warshefskie. Zykoff would score the inning's second run when freshman center fielder Brandon Morse bounced into a double play. Sophomore left-hander Adam Goss (Waterford, Conn.) came on to face left-handed junior shortstop Michael Stack, but could not retire him, as Stack pulled an 0-2 slider into right field for a single to drive home Warshefskie.

Sophomore right-hander Anthony Matarazzo (Medford, Mass.) threw 98 pitches (65 strikes) over the first 6.2 innings on the mound for Franklin Pierce. He allowed three runs (one earned) on seven hits, walked two and struck out eight on the way to the win (6-0). Putnam faced just eight batters while recording the final seven outs, did not allow a hit over 2.1 scoreless innings and struck out the final five Adelphi batters of the game to record his first collegiate save.

For Adelphi, O'Connor (2-2) tossed 66 pitches (45 strikes) over five-plus innings on the hill. He surrendered five runs on eight hits, walked two and struck out one while taking the loss.

In the second game, Adelphi would open the scoring with a run in the top of the first inning. The game's first batter, Morse, led off with an infield single, off the glove of the leaping Franklin Pierce starting pitcher, sophomore right-hander John Amendola (Wallingford, Conn.). Morse then stole second, and wound up at third on the play on a defensive breakdown by the Ravens. There appeared to be confusion between Brock and senior second baseman Kurtis White (Nahant, Mass.) as to who would cover the bag, before the throw from sophomore catcher Christopher Stanford (Quebec City, Quebec) tailed away from Brock and escaped into center field. Morse would come home to score on an RBI groundout to second by Stack.

Franklin Pierce claimed the lead with a pair of runs in the bottom of the third inning. White opened things with a one-out single to right before Adelphi junior right-hander TJ Santiago hit Sheehan and walked Brock on four straight pitches to load the bases. Two batters later, LaVorgna brought home both White and Sheehan by bouncing a two-run single through the right side of the infield.

Amendola had settled in after the early trouble, but could not escape the top of the sixth, as Adelphi tied the game at 2-2. Junior first baseman Robert Vani opened the inning with a first-pitch single back up the middle and went to second two batters later on a single to left by Cassara. After a wild pitch moved the runners up and a six-pitch walk to sophomore designated hitter Camden Orologio loaded the bases, Amendola was lifted in favor of senior right-hander Tanner Bird (Adams, Mass.). Adelphi countered with Zykoff as a pinch hitter, and he chopped a ball towards shortstop. Brock -- who finished the doubleheader with five errors -- fielded cleanly coming in, but then dropped the ball as he attempted to throw home, allowing Vani to score and the bases to remain loaded. Bird struck out senior left fielder Tyler Murphy and got freshman Thomas Colombo to foul out as a pinch hitter to escape further damage.

Franklin Pierce went back out front, 3-2, with a run in the bottom of the eighth inning. With two outs and nobody on, Jabs looped a 2-2 pitch into right-center for a single. He would come all the way around to score as LaVorgna followed and launched a first-pitch triple over the head of the center fielder and into the gap in right-center. Following the triple, Adelphi turned to sophomore right-hander Steven Kuhn, who got Burns to fly out to right field to strand LaVorgna at third.

The Ravens could not nail things down however, as Adelphi rallied for two runs and, ultimately, the win in the top of the ninth inning. With Bird still on the hill, Murphy laced a first-pitch single to left field leading off and was lifted for a pinch runner, sophomore John Cuttita. Senior second baseman Ray Triano squared to lay down a sacrifice bunt, but the first pitch missed inside, glanced off of Stanford's glove and fled to the backstop for a passed ball to move Cuttita into scoring position. Triano ultimately got down the sacrifice to move Cuttita to third with just one out, at which point the Ravens moved Jabs from third base to the mound to try to nail things down.

Jabs was greeted rudely, as he threw three straight balls to Morse, before the latter turned on a 3-0 pitch and chopped an RBI double inside the bag at third and down the left-field line, putting himself in scoring position as well. With Stack at the plate, a pitch in the dirt slipped between Stanford's legs, hit the left foot of plate umpire James Kelly and darted over towards the Adelphi dugout on the first-base side. Stanford spun like a top at home plate attempting to locate the ball, while Jabs from the mound and O'Herron from first base both took off after the pinballing wild pitch. Meanwhile, Morse tapped his way towards third and took off towards home as well, reaching the plate with the go-ahead run before the Ravens could corral the baseball.

Franklin Pierce would threaten with two out in the last of the ninth against Kuhn, but could not put together the tying run. Stanford worked a six-pitch walk and was replaced by Putnam as a pinch runner. Putnam moved to second when White dumped a first-pitch single into left field. The single flipped the lineup back to the top for Sheehan, but he looked at a 1-2 fastball on the outside corner for the 12th and final Franklin Pierce strikeout of the game to finish things off.

Amendola was long gone before the decision was handed out, as he threw 89 pitches (60 strikes) over the first 5.1 innings. He was charged with two runs (one earned) on six hits, walked two, threw a wild pitch and struck out four. Though Bird would be charged with a blown save when Adelphi tied the game at 2-2, it was Jabs (2-1) who took the loss in the ninth. He threw two-thirds of an inning, allowed one run on one hit, walked one, threw a wild pitch and struck out one.

On the other side of the ledger, Santiago fired 119 pitches (81 strikes) over 7.2 innings, but also did not factor in the decision. He allowed three runs on five hits, walked one, hit a batter, threw a wild pitch and struck out 11. Kuhn (2-2) threw the final 1.1 innings and wound up a winner, as he did not allow a run, surrendered one hit, walked one and struck out one.

The Ravens return to the field on Sunday, April 10, when they remain home to host Pace in a Northeast-10 Conference doubleheader. First pitch is set for noon at Pappas Field.

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).