MANCHESTER, N.H. (April 28, 2016) – Junior third baseman Jay Jabs (Schwenksville, Pa.) drove a long two-run home run to highlight a five-run top of the third inning on Thursday afternoon, as the No. 2/8 nationally ranked Franklin Pierce University baseball team posted an 8-4 win over Saint Anselm in Northeast-10 Conference, Northeast Division play at Sullivan Park. Senior right-hander Tanner Bird (Adams, Mass.) struck out 10 over six innings of two-hit ball to pick up the win out of the bullpen.

With the win, Franklin Pierce improves to 37-4 (18-2 Northeast-10, 13-1 Northeast Division) and has won nine in a row, while Saint Anselm falls to 8-30 (3-18 Northeast-10, 3-13 Northeast Division). Franklin Pierce has now taken the first two games of the three-game season series from Saint Anselm. The two teams will meet again, at Saint Anselm on May 3, to round out the season series.

Franklin Pierce jumped out front early on Thursday afternoon, with a run in the top of the first inning. Senior center fielder Maxx Sheehan (San Jose, Calif.) led off the game with a bunt single, moved around to third on a double into the gap in left-center field by senior shortstop Justin Brock (Latham, N.Y.) and scored on an RBI groundout by Jabs, who drove in three runs and scored twice on the day.

Saint Anselm got the run right back in the bottom half of the first. Junior second baseman Matthew Flynn picked up a leadoff double to start the inning as Franklin Pierce senior right fielder Max DiTondo (Marshfield, Mass.) lost the fly ball in the sun. It would only be half of an adventurous half-inning in the field for DiTondo, who was shifted towards the gap two batters later, with junior third baseman Nick Bragole at the plate. This left DiTondo with a long run when Bragole hit a high fly ball off the end of the bat and down the right-field line. DiTondo could not quite track it down, as the ball fell just inside the line, but out of range of his dive, resulting in an RBI triple to tie the game at 1-1.

The Hawks struck for a 3-1 lead with a pair of unearned runs in the bottom of the second inning, as the Franklin Pierce starter, junior right-hander Dylan Dennis (Wakefield, Mass.), got little help from the defense over his two innings on the mound. With one out, senior catcher Allan McQuarrie pulled the ball down the left-field line, but was held at first for a single, and then moved around to third on a double into the gap in left-center by sophomore left fielder John Marculitis. Dennis then got a ground ball on the left side and a play at the plate loomed, but Brock misplayed the ball, leaving everybody safe and a run across. Flynn followed with a sacrifice fly to score Marculitis.

The end of the second was also the end of the line for Dennis, who left after two innings and 32 pitches (21 strikes). He allowed three runs (one earned) on four hits, did not issue a walk and struck out two. Bird (7-0) took over to start the third and faced just 22 batters over the next six innings. He would allow just one unearned run on two hits, walked one and struck out 10. The only downside to Bird's outing for Franklin Pierce was his 86 pitches thrown (60 strikes), which puts his availability in question for the upcoming weekend series against Merrimack on Friday and Saturday.

Franklin Pierce struck for five runs in the top of the third inning to take the lead for good and make it a 6-3 game. Brock took a leadoff walk and would score when Jabs clobbered a two-run home run to right-center field, his team-leading 11th of the season. It was the 29th home run of his Ravens career, moving Jabs into third all-time, just one behind the school record.

After the Jabs homer, junior designated hitter Chris LaVorgna (North Haven, Conn.) was hit by a pitch and went first-to-third on a single through Bragole at third by DiTondo. After DiTondo stole second, senior left fielder Kurtis White (Nahant, Mass.) would cash in both runners by pulling a two-run double down the right-field line. White would later score on an error to round out the inning's scoring.

After the middle innings and much of the late innings went without further scoring, Franklin Pierce tacked on a pair of insurance runs in the top of the ninth to push the lead to 8-3. Sheehan singled to right leading off, moved to second on a sacrifice by Brock and went to third on a wild pitch, before Jabs walked. LaVorgna followed with an RBI groundout on a chopper to third to score Sheehan and move Jabs to third. During the ensuing at-bat, McQuarrie attempted to throw behind Jabs at second, but threw the ball into center field instead, allowing Jabs to take third. Jabs then scored on a passed ball.

Saint Anselm picked up a run in the bottom half of the ninth, but ultimately left the bases loaded to create the 8-4 final. Sophomore designated hitter Dan Bodi reached on Brock's second error of the day at shortstop, as his throw to first sailed beyond the reach of the first baseman. Bodi came up injured on the play, and was replaced by freshman Tyler McKeon as a pinch runner. The error also marked the end of Bird's relief outing, as freshman right-hander Tony Sylvester (Pepperell, Mass.) took over.

Sylvester walked junior right fielder Jon McQuarrie, but then retired Allan McQuarrie and freshman Aaron Crandall on back-to-back groundouts to put the Hawks down to their final out. Sylvester then lost the zone again, issuing walks to sophomore shortstop Max Wadington and Flynn to force home a run and force head coach Jayson King to go to the bullpen again. With left-handed hitter and senior center fielder Ken Morrisino due up, King turned to sophomore left-hander Adam Goss (Waterford, Conn.), who struck out Morrisino on four pitches to end the ballgame and nail down his first collegiate save.

The Ravens return to the field on Friday, April 29, when they return home to host Merrimack in a Northeast-10 Conference, Northeast Division contest. First pitch is set for 6 p.m. at Pappas Field in Rindge.

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).