Forbes Drives Home Five, Leads Baseball Past Saint Anselm, 8-2
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Franklin Pierce | 0 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 8 | 14 | 2 |
|
Saint Anselm | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 8 | 1 |
RINDGE, N.H. (April 24, 2019) – Senior designated hitter Ural Forbes (Freeport, Bahamas) went 3-for-5 with a double and a home run, scored twice and drove in five runs on Wednesday afternoon, to lead the Franklin Pierce University baseball team to an 8-2 victory over Saint Anselm in Northeast-10 Conference Northeast Division play at Dr. Arthur and Martha Pappas Field. Freshman third baseman Jethro Hurt (New York, N.Y.) hit a home run as well, while sophomore left-hander Patrick Hannon (Willington, Conn.) struck out four over 4.2 innings of scoreless work out of the bullpen.
With the win, Franklin Pierce improves to 19-16 (12-7 NE10, 8-5 NE Div.), while Saint Anselm falls to 6-28 (2-17 NE10, 1-12 NE Div.). The game was originally scheduled to be played at Saint Anselm, but was moved to Franklin Pierce due to unplayable field conditions. As a result, Franklin Pierce played as the visiting team and batted in the top half of each inning.
The Ravens jumped out front with a trio of runs in the top of the second and added another in the third. In the second, junior first baseman Jonel Ozuna (New York, N.Y.) singled up the middle leading off and came all the way around to score on a double deep into the gap in left-center by Forbes. Forbes scored two batters later as Hurt launched his second home run of the season an estimated 370 feet to straightaway left field. In the third, it was an unearned run, as junior shortstop James Boria (Massapequa, N.Y.) singled to right, advanced on an error and a fielder's choice and then scored on an infield single by Forbes.
Saint Anselm halved the deficit with a pair of runs in the bottom half of the third. Freshman left fielder Nick Berry opened the inning with a double into the left-field corner and scored when senior third baseman Tyler McKeon followed with an RBI double to left. McKeon later scored on an RBI single back through the middle by freshman catcher Enzo Merlonghi.
Despite putting at least one runner on base in every inning except the first, it took the Ravens until the top of the ninth to tack on the insurance runs to put the game away. Things started with two outs, as senior left fielder Brad Roberto (San Diego, Calif.) and Ozuna both singled to center to set the table for Forbes. Forbes capped his busy day by taking a 3-1 pitch an estimated 355 feet the other way to right field for a three-run home run, his fourth of the campaign. Four straight walks by a pair of pitchers then combined to bring freshman right fielder Graham Smith (Wilmington, Mass.) all the way around with the game's final run.
Franklin Pierce planned ahead of time to use at least three pitchers to get through the day, which left freshman right-handed starter Danny Gracia (Wilmington, Mass.) eligible for the win (1-3) despite exiting after 2.1 innings of work, as he was on a limited pitch count after his relief outing on Tuesday. He allowed two runs on six hits, did not issue a walk and did not record a strikeout. Hannon followed with scoreless ball over the next 4.2 innings, allowed one walk and struck out four to hold the fort until the late innings. Sophomore right-hander Jack Wallace (Winthrop, Mass.) retired all six batters over the final two innings, including three strikeouts, to lock up his second save of the season and his second in as many days.
Sophomore right-hander Brian Wojichowski (0-2) kept Saint Anselm in the ballgame, as he used 116 pitches (78 strikes) to get through the first eight innings. He allowed four runs (three earned) on 11 hits, walked one and struck out six while suffering the loss. The Hawks' bullpen made the final score line much worse, as the first two relievers combined to allow four runs on three hits and three walks, while recording only two outs and facing eight batters.
The Ravens return to the field on Thursday, April 25, when they remain home to host Stonehill in an NE10 Northeast Division contest. First pitch is set for 3:30 p.m. at Pappas Field.
For more information on Franklin Pierce Athletics, please visit the official website of Franklin Pierce Athletics (https://www.fpuravens.com). 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 (https://www.fpuravens.com/store).
