RINDGE, N.H. (May 10, 2016) – Senior right-hander Paul Covelle (Medford, Mass.) fired a four-hit shutout and senior left fielder Kurtis White (Nahant, Mass.) clubbed a sixth-inning grand slam on Tuesday night as the No. 1/3 nationally ranked Franklin Pierce University baseball team posted a 6-0 win over Assumption in the first round of the Northeast-10 Conference Championship at Dr. Arthur and Martha Pappas Field. Junior third baseman Jay Jabs (Schwenksville, Pa.) became the school's all-time leader in home runs with a solo shot in the fourth inning, the 31st of his career.

With the win, Franklin Pierce -- the Northeast Division's top seed -- improves to 45-4. Assumption -- the Northeast Division's fourth seed -- concludes its season at 19-25.

With the win, Franklin Pierce will host the double-elimination portion of the Northeast-10 Championship as well, Thursday, May 13 through Saturday, May 15, at Pappas Field. The Ravens will open the weekend portion of the tournament against Pace, the Southwest Division's second seed, which defeated Le Moyne on Tuesday afternoon, 4-3. The Ravens and Setters will meet at 3:30 p.m. on Thursday, following the noon game, which will feature Southern New Hampshire -- the Northeast Division's second seed -- and Saint Rose -- the Southwest Division's fourth seed. Thursday's action will conclude with an elimination game at 7 p.m., feature the losing teams from each of the day's previous games.

Covelle (9-1) -- whose last postseason start lasted just 3.2 innings at last year's NCAA East Regional -- dispatched Assumption all on his own on Tuesday night, as he needed just 110 pitches (81 strikes) to shutout the Greyhounds. He allowed just four hits, did not issue a walk, threw a pair of wild pitches and struck out nine along the way, while facing 32 batters, just five over the minimum. Covelle needed 20 pitches to get through the top of the first by stranding runners at first at second, but then allowed just four baserunners and used just 90 pitches for the remaining eight innings. He retired the side in order in the second, fourth, fifth and eighth innings. It was Covelle's fourth complete game of the season and the first shutout of his career.

The Ravens got Covelle the only run he would need in the bottom of the first inning. With one out, senior shortstop Justin Brock (Latham, N.Y.) took a four-pitch walk, moved to second on a wild pitch and scored on a two-out, second-pitch single back up the middle by junior designated hitter Chris LaVorgna (North Haven, Conn.).

Franklin Pierce doubled the lead to 2-0 with a run in the bottom of the fourth. Jabs led off and promptly fell into an 0-2 hole, but then fouled off five more pitches to work his way into a 1-2 count and a nine-pitch at-bat. He would unload on said ninth pitch of the at-bat and drive a home run of approximately 395 feet, just to the left of straightaway right field, his team-leading 13th home run of the season. The ball narrowly cleared the eight-foot high exterior fence at the adjacent Sodexo Field, which sits approximately 30 feet behind the right-field fence.

The home run was the 31st career long ball for Jabs, which allowed him to take sole possession of the top spot in the Franklin Pierce record books. He had previously shared the record with Derek Ingui and Mal Higgins, who each hit 30 career home runs for the Ravens.

Franklin Pierce collected four more runs in the bottom of the sixth inning to create the 6-0 final. Jabs walked on six pitches leading off to start things up. LaVorgna was next and flared the second pitch he saw over the head of Assumption junior first baseman Jake Byrne. Senior second baseman Colin Clancy scrambled to corral the ball, but was left with no play when he did so. Senior right fielder Max DiTondo (Marshfield, Mass.) then deadened a bunt single up the third-base line to load the bases with nobody out and force a mound visit from Assumption head coach Mike Rocco.

Rocco elected to stick with his starter, sophomore right-hander Mike Curtis, who got senior first baseman Matthew O'Herron (Springfield, Mass.) to pop up on the infield for the first out. However, Curtis would not retire White, who drove a 1-1 pitch an estimated 355 feet to straightaway right field, narrowly clearing the fence for his third home run of the season, a grand slam which all but put the game away.

The grand slam would come on the final pitch Curtis (4-4) threw, as he departed after 5.1 innings and 90 pitches (53 strikes). He was charged with six runs on six hits, walked four, threw a wild pitch and struck out one.

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).