WORCESTER, Mass. (April 23, 2016) – Sophomore right-hander Anthony Matarazzo (Medford, Mass.) went the distance in the first game on Saturday afternoon, leading the No. 2/8 nationally ranked Franklin Pierce University baseball team to a 5-1 win over Assumption in Northeast-10 Conference, Northeast Division play at Rocheleau Field. The floodgates opened in the second game, as the Ravens poured in 15 runs on 15 hits in a 15-2 victory to complete the doubleheader sweep.

With the wins, Franklin Pierce improves to 34-4 (15-2 Northeast-10, 10-1 Northeast Division), while Assumption falls to 14-21 (9-12 Northeast-10, 5-8 Northeast Division). The two teams will meet again on Sunday at 1 p.m. at Rocheleau Field to round out the three-game series.

In the first game, Franklin Pierce opened the scoring with a run in the top of the first inning. Junior third baseman Jay Jabs (Schwenksville, Pa.) started things with a two-out triple to center field and scored when junior designated hitter Chris LaVorgna (North Haven, Conn.) followed with an RBI single through the right side of the infield.

The Ravens doubled the lead to 2-0 with a run in the top of the second. Senior left fielder Kurtis White (Nahant, Mass.) reached with a one-out single back up the middle, moved to second when junior second baseman Kyle Hood (Arlington, Mass.) walked, and scored on an RBI single the other way into right-center by senior center fielder Maxx Sheehan (San Jose, Calif.).

Another run in the top of the sixth pushed the lead to 3-0. Sheehan dropped down a bunt single with two outs and nobody on, and then scored from first on a double to right by senior shortstop Justin Brock (Latham, N.Y.).

Franklin Pierce plated a pair of insurance runs in top of the eighth to make it a 5-0 game. White led off and pulled his second home run of the season, a solo shot to right field. Sophomore first baseman John Friday (Southborough, Mass.) then singled to left, but wound up on second on the play, thanks to an error. He moved to third on a single through the left side by Hood and eventually scored on a bases-loaded walk to Brock.

Assumption got on the board with a run in the bottom of the ninth to create the 5-1 final. Junior third baseman Mike Coggeshall started things with a one-out single to right, moved to second on a single through the left side by sophomore left fielder Andrew Jaehnig, went to third on a groundout and scored on a wild pitch.

For his part, Matarazzo (8-0) needed 112 pitches (74 strikes) to go the distance against Assumption in Saturday's first game. He allowed just the one late run on four hits, walked one, hit two batters, threw a wild pitch and struck out five on the way to the win in his first career nine-inning complete game.

On the other side of the ledger, senior right-hander Steve Flynn (2-6) tossed 118 pitches (78 strikes) over seven-plus innings for the Greyhounds. He allowed four runs on nine hits, walked four and struck out eight in the losing effort.

In the second game, Franklin Pierce picked up single runs in the first, second and third innings to open up a 3-0 lead. In the first, Brock walked, stole second and later scored on an RBI single to right by LaVorgna. In the second, White reached by bouncing into a fielder's choice and ultimately scored on an RBI single to right by Hood. In the third, LaVorgna reached on an error, stole second and then scored on an RBI single to center by senior right fielder Max DiTondo (Marshfield, Mass.).

The Ravens doubled the lead to 6-0 with a trio of runs in the top of the fourth inning. White reached at second on a dropped fly ball leading off, moved to third on an infield single by Friday and scored on an RBI fielder's choice by Hood. Hood moved to second on an errant pickoff throw, before Brock was hit by a pitch two batters later. Jabs followed and dumped an RBI single into right-center to score Hood, while Brock went first-to-third to set up a first-and-third situation with two outs. The Ravens put on the first-and-third play, with Jabs stealing second and Brock stealing home to cap the inning's scoring.

Assumption got on the board with two runs in the bottom of the fifth to cut the gap to 6-2. With two outs, Coggeshall pulled the ball down the right-field line for a solo home run, his seventh of the season. Jaehnig followed, reached on an error, moved to second on a passed ball, went to third on a wild pitch and scored on an RBI single through the right side by freshman shortstop Hunter Tralli.

Franklin Pierce got the two runs right back in the top of the sixth to make it an 8-2 game. Brock led off and pulled a single down the left-field line, before Jabs followed with a two-run home run to right-center field, his team leading 10th long ball of the season. Jabs is now just two home runs behind the program's all-time record of 30, held by both Derek Ingui and Mal Higgins.

Six more runs in the top of the seventh broke the game wide open and pushed the lead all the way out to 14-2. The Ravens sent 12 men to the plate in the inning, and Friday had the biggest blow, with a two-run single into right-center field. Also in the inning, Brock yanked an RBI double down the left-field line, Jabs drove in a run with an RBI groundout and White drew a bases-loaded walk to drive in a run.

A solo home run to center field by freshman Ryan Boldwin (Bow, N.H.) in the eighth inning, his second homer of the season, created the 15-2 final.

Sophomore right-hander John Amendola (Wallingford, Conn.) threw 91 pitches (60 strikes) over the first six innings on the mound for the Ravens in the second game. He allowed two runs (one earned) on six hits, walked three, threw two wild pitches and struck out three on the way to the win (5-1).

On the other side, sophomore right-hander Kyle Chudoba (1-7) needed 97 pitches (65 strikes) to get through just five innings, plus two batters in the sixth. He was tagged for eight runs (four earned) on 10 hits, walked three, hit a batter and struck out two while taking the loss.

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).