RINDGE, N.H. (April 29, 2016) – Junior designated hitter Chris LaVorgna (North Haven, Conn.) launched a three-run home run to left field as part of an eight-run fifth inning for the No. 2/8 nationally ranked Franklin Pierce University baseball team on Friday night, while senior center fielder Maxx Sheehan (San Jose, Calif.) went 4-for-5 and drove in four runs out of the leadoff spot at Dr. Arthur and Martha Pappas Field. In the end, it all added up to an 11-1 win for the Ravens over Merrimack in Northeast-10 Conference, Northeast Division play.

With the win, Franklin Pierce improves to 38-4 (19-2 Northeast-10, 14-1 Northeast Division) and has won 10 in a row for the third time this year, while Merrimack falls to 25-15 (15-8 Northeast-10, 9-6 Northeast Division). The two teams will meet for a doubleheader at 2 p.m. on Saturday at Pappas Field to wrap up the three-game series.

Merrimack struck first on Friday night, with a run in the top of the second. With two outs and nobody on, sophomore right fielder Matt Nicholson drove his team-leading fifth home run of the season an estimated 375 feet to the top of the grass berm beyond the fence in straightaway left field.

The Ravens answered immediately and took the lead for good with three runs in the bottom half of the second. Senior right fielder Max DiTondo (Marshfield, Mass.) led off with a double the other way into the gap in left-center and scored when senior first baseman Matthew O'Herron (Springfield, Mass.) followed and won an eight-pitch at-bat with an RBI single back up the middle. O'Herron would move around to third when senior left fielder Kurtis White (Nahant, Mass.) chopped a ball over the first baseman and down the right-field line for a double. Both runners would score three batters later on a first-pitch, two-run single back through the middle by Sheehan.

Franklin Pierce broke the game open and accomplished all of the night's remaining scoring with eight runs in the bottom of the fifth to create the 11-1 final. The first five men of the inning all reached, capped by an estimated 370-foot home run to straightaway left by LaVorgna, which fell just shy of the top of the berm beyond the fence. The Ravens would send 13 men to the plate and rap out seven hits in the inning, while every member of the lineup except DiTondo scored a run. Senior shortstop Justin Brock (Latham, N.Y.) drove in two runs in the inning as he chopped a ball over the third baseman and down the left-field line for a double, while Sheehan went the other way and pushed a two-run single into right-center field. The remaining run in the inning came when sophomore catcher Christopher Stanford (Quebec City, Quebec) was credited with a steal of home on a first-and-third, double-steal play.

Sophomore right-hander Anthony Matarazzo (Medford, Mass.) started on the mound for Franklin Pierce and threw 70 pitches (44 strikes) before departing after six with a huge lead. He allowed one run on three hits, walked two, hit a batter and struck out five on the way to the win (9-0). Senior left-hander Gage Griffin (Moosup, Conn.) threw shutout ball over the final three innings, walked two and struck out four to earn his first career save.

Sophomore left-hander PJ Browne (5-4) took the ball for Merrimack and needed 97 pitches (59 strikes) just to get through 4.1 innings on the mound. He was roughed up for nine runs, all earned, on 10 hits, walked one, balked once and struck out seven 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).