MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. (February 23, 2020) – A day after launching three home runs over two games as part of a 26-run doubleheader barrage, it was the Franklin Pierce University baseball team which fell victim to the longball on Sunday morning at The Ripken Experience. Four Franklin Pierce pitchers combined to surrender 14 runs on 13 hits, including a quartet of home runs, as the Ravens dropped a 14-4, non-conference decision to Post to wrap up their five-game, season-opening trip to Myrtle Beach.

With the loss, Franklin Pierce returns north at 3-2, while Post improves to 4-3.

The contest was tight through seven innings, with Post clinging to a 6-4 lead, but the wheels fell off in tremendous fashion for the Ravens in the top of the eighth. Post sent 11 men to the plate, collected five hits and pushed eight runs across the plate to take a commanding, 14-4 lead, which would stand as the final score.

After a single, a walk and another single combined to plate one run and put runners at first and second with one out, graduate student right-hander Carmine Giordano (New Rochelle, N.Y.) came on in an attempt to put out the fire, but only fanned the flames instead. Giordano walked freshman second baseman Thomas DiRusso to load the bases, surrendered a two-run single to senior left fielder Kwan Jones, and had another run score when junior center fielder Brycin Hernandez reached on an error, which pushed the lead out to 10-4.

Not sated just yet, the next two batters turned the game into a rout. Sophomore right fielder Christian Aliberti clubbed a three-run homer to make it 13-4, and senior third baseman Tyler Melko followed with a solo shot to serve as the cherry on top and cap the scoring. The Melko dinger chased Giordano from the mound, after he faced five batters and retired none of them.

Earlier in the day, sophomore right-hander Danny Gracia (Wilmington, Mass.) had started on the mound and threw the first 5.1 innings for the Ravens. He surrendered four runs (three earned) on three hits, walked four, hit a batter, struck out four and suffered the loss (0-1). Over the final 3.2 innings, three Franklin Pierce relievers combined to post a line which featured 10 runs allowed (nine earned) on 10 hits and three walks, with four strikeouts.

Junior right-hander Dan Raglievich took the ball for Post, threw four scoreless innings to open the game and did not factor in the decision. He allowed three hits and struck out three. Sophomore right-hander Jacob Tamburrino (1-0) would earn the win with two innings of work out of the bullpen, as he threw the sixth and seventh innings. He allowed one run on two hits, walked three and struck out two.

The Ravens return to the field on Saturday and Sunday, Feb. 29 and March 1, when they travel to Adelphi for a three-game non-conference series. The two teams will play a doubleheader at noon on Saturday, followed by a single game at 1 p.m. Sunday, all at Bonomo Field in Garden City, N.Y.

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' brand new online store (https://www.shopfpuravens.com).