GARDEN CITY, N.Y. (February 29, 2020) – In a wild and crazy game, the Franklin Pierce University baseball team hammered out 17 hits, including five home runs and 11 extra base hits, in a high-scoring, 20-17 win over Adelphi University at Bonomo Field on Saturday afternoon. Senior first baseman Jonel Ozuna (New York, N.Y.) hit a pair of home runs and senior catcher Dylan Jones (Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.) hammered a grand slam in the non-conference victory.

The win lifted the Ravens to 4-2 on the season while the Panthers drop to 0-1. The two teams will meet again on Sunday, for a noon doubleheader at Bonomo Field, to wrap up the weekend series. The 20 runs scored was the most the crimson and grey have scored in a game since March 31, 2016, when they posted a 20-7 victory on the road at Stonehill.

Franklin Pierce wasted little time getting on the scoreboard against the Adelphi starter, junior Nicolas Luc. With one out, Jones ripped a double down the left field line. He advanced to third on a ground out by junior left fielder Charles Lebron (Brooklyn, N.Y.) before Ozuna blasted a 3-2 pitch for a two-run shot, his first of the season. The Panthers got one back in the bottom half, as freshman third baseman Matt Alifano lead off with a double, advanced to third on a single by senior shortstop Tyler Becker and came home on a sacrifice fly by senior left fielder Lawrence Cicileo.

After the Ravens went down in order in the top of the second, their starter, senior right-hander Derek Duffy (Farmington, Conn.), ran into trouble. He allowed the first four men to reach base before giving way to freshman right-hander Andres Auffant (Center Moriches, N.Y.), who allowed a pair of inherited runs to score. Duffy's final line saw him log just one-plus inning while allowing five runs (four earned) on six hits. Franklin Pierce trailed 5-2 after two.  

The Ravens offense got back to work in the top of the third. Sophomore center fielder Joel Lara (Boston, Mass.) led off with an infield single and advanced to second two batters later on a groundout by Jones. Lebron brought Lara home on an opposite field double. Ozuna followed by driving in his third run of the game on a single up the middle and scored on a pinch-hit double by graduate student designated hitter Tyler Patane (Lake Grove, N.Y.). Auffant worked out of a bases-loaded jam in the home half of the third to keep the game tied at 5-5.

After both teams had two runs cross the plate in the fifth, Franklin Pierce took the lead for good in the sixth inning. After the first two Ravens were retired, Lebron connected on his first home run as a Raven, as he blasted a solo shot to right center field. Ozuna followed by leaving the yard for the second time on the day to give the Ravens a 9-7 advantage. The Panthers manufactured a run in the bottom half to make the score 9-8, but it turned out both lineups were just getting warmed up.

Franklin Pierce broke the game wide open with a crooked number in the seventh. Senior second baseman James Boria (Massapequa, N.Y.) and junior third baseman Josh Tower (Auburn, Mass.) drew walks from Adelphi freshman Michael Storms to start the inning. Two batters later, Lara reached on an infield single to third. After a run scored on an error, Jones smashed his third long ball of the season and the first grand slam of his career. The Panthers responded with a pitching change, as they turned to senior Troy Simpson. He would allow a run on two walks and a pair of hit batsmen before junior Seth Sypniak came on and forced sophomore right fielder Graham Smith (Wilmington, Mass.) to ground into a fielder's choice to finally end the inning. In all, the Ravens sent 12 men to the plate and scored six runs against three different pitchers.

Franklin Pierce scored four more runs in the eighth. Lara ripped his first extra-base hit of the season with a leadoff double. Sophomore shortstop Randy Flores (Brooklyn, N.Y.) brought him home with a triple and then scored on a sacrifice fly by Lebron. Ozuna took a walk ahead of Patane, who mashed his first Franklin Pierce home run to give the Ravens a 19-8 advantage. Junior right-hander Jack Wallace (Winthrop, Mass.) struck out the side in the home half before the Ravens wrapped up their offensive output with a Jones RBI single in the ninth.

Adelphi attempted a comeback in the bottom of the ninth. The Panthers scored nine runs on five hits and six walks against five Raven relievers, as the game all but turned into a circus, but sophomore right-hander Danny Gracia (Wilmington, Mass.) finally shut the door. He used three pitches to strand the tying run at the plate, as he forced sophomore pinch hitter Robert Affenita III to ground out on a comebacker.

In a game where the two teams combined to use 17 pitches, junior left-hander Patrick Hannon (Willington, Conn.) happened to be in the right place at the right time and got credit for the win (1-0). He came on to finish the fifth and tossed 2.1 innings while giving up one run on one hit and striking out a man. Gracia's one-batter appearance notched him his first save of the season.

For Adelphi, it was junior Andrew Williams who surrendered the first run in the sixth and suffered the loss (0-1). He threw 1.1 innings and gave up one run on two hits.

Both offenses bailed out their respective starting pitchers. Duffy and Luc combined to post a line of 10 runs allowed on 12 hits over just four innings of work, but neither factored in the decision.

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).