CARY, N.C. (March 6, 2020) – The Franklin Pierce University baseball team continued to struggle with run prevention on Friday, as the team opened a seven-game trip to North Carolina at the USA Baseball National Training Complex. The Ravens suffered non-conference defeats at the hands of Molloy, 10-5, and West Chester, 6-5. Franklin Pierce has surrendered an average of 8.7 runs per game over the first 10 games of the season.

With the losses, Franklin Pierce falls to 4-6. Molloy improved to 6-2 with the victory, while West Chester now stands at 5-2. The Ravens are back in action on Saturday at the USA Baseball National Training Complex, when they take on Frostburg State in a non-conference contest at 5 p.m.

Game 1: Molloy 10, Franklin Pierce 5

After falling behind 5-1 early in the first game of the day, Franklin Pierce used single runs in the top of the third, fourth and fifth innings to claw back and close the gap to 5-4. In the third, sophomore center fielder Joel Lara (Boston, Mass.) reached on a bunt single, stole second and later scored on a two-out error. In the fourth, sophomore shortstop Randy Flores (Brooklyn, N.Y.) socked a solo homer to right, the first of his collegiate career. In the fifth, sophomore right fielder Graham Smith (Wilmington, Mass.) walked, moved to second on a wild pitch, stole third and scored on a sacrifice fly.

The work would all be for naught though, as the Ravens turned around and gave up five runs in the bottom of the fifth and Molloy opened up a 10-4 lead. The Lions hammered out seven hits in the frame, including RBI singles by sophomore catcher Thomas Brady and senior shortstop James Messina. Senior second baseman Sean Hogan capped things with a two-run, two-out single to left, and a third run scored on the play on a throwing error.

Franklin Pierce picked up a run on a Lara sacrifice fly in the top of the seventh to create the 10-5 final.

Junior left-hander Patrick Hannon (Willington, Conn.) started and threw 62 pitches (42 strikes) over four innings on the mound for the Ravens. He was charged with five runs (four earned) on eight hits, struck out two and suffered the loss (1-1).

Senior right-hander Timothy Panetta logged the first 4.1 innings for Molloy and did not factor in the decision. He surrendered four runs (three earned) on five hits, walked three and struck out six. Sophomore left-hander Christopher Wiercinski (2-0) went the final 4.2 innings, allowed one run on one hit, walked one and struck out two to pick up the win.

Game 2: West Chester 6, Franklin Pierce 5

The second game of the day turned on the top of the third inning, when West Chester plated three runs to take a 4-2 lead it would never relinquish. After a walk, a single and a hit batsman loaded the bases with nobody out, junior second baseman Nick D'Amore cracked a two-run single to turn a 2-1 deficit into a 3-2 lead for the Golden Rams. Junior first baseman Hunter Reeser followed with an RBI single of his own.

Franklin Pierce cut the gap to 4-3 in the bottom half of the third as graduate student third baseman Tyler Patane (Lake Grove, N.Y.) worked a leadoff walk and eventually scored on a sacrifice bunt by junior designated hitter Charles Lebron (Brooklyn, N.Y.), but then West Chester put together a pair of runs in the top of the fourth to push the lead out to 6-3. Graduate student right fielder Drew Jarmuz provided an RBI triple in the frame and then later scored a run of his own on a wild pitch.

The game would go silent from there until Franklin Pierce scored a pair in the last of the ninth. Walks to Flores and Lara put the Ravens in business to start the inning, before junior first baseman Josh Tower (Auburn, Mass.) stroked an RBI single to cut the gap to 6-4 and put the tying run on base with one out. Senior catcher Dylan Jones (Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.) followed with a sacrifice fly to make it 6-5, but then Lebron struck out to end the game.

Freshman right-hander Andres Auffant (Center Moriches, N.Y.) took the ball and threw the first 2.2 innings for Franklin Pierce. He allowed four runs on six hits, walked three, hit a batter, struck out four and suffered the loss (0-1).

Meanwhile, junior left-hander Braeden Fausnaught (2-0) toed the rubber for West Chester for the first five innings. He surrendered three runs on four hits, walked five and struck out four on the way to the win. Junior right-hander Nick Picariello allowed two runs on a hit and two walks in the ninth, but picked up his first save of the season anyway, as he also struck out a pair.

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).