CARY, N.C. (March 9, 2020) – Senior left-hander Shawn Babineau (Ashland, Mass.) threw his first complete game on a Raven on Monday, as he led the Franklin Pierce University baseball team to a 6-3 win over St. Thomas Aquinas in non-conference action at the USA Baseball National Training Complex. In the second game of the day, nine walks hurt the Ravens in an 8-5 loss to Indiana (Pa.).

With the split, Franklin Pierce now stands at 6-8. STAC fell to 4-6 with the loss, while IUP improved to 2-8 with the victory. Franklin Pierce will wrap up its North Carolina trip tomorrow, with a 2:30 p.m. game against St. Thomas Aquinas at the USA Baseball National Training Complex.

Game 1: Franklin Pierce 6, St. Thomas Aquinas 3

Babineau (1-2) was the story of Franklin Pierce's first game of the day, as he went the distance on 116 pitches (77 strikes). He allowed three runs on nine hits, walked one and struck out three in the fourth complete game of his collegiate career. When Babineau went out for the last of the ninth to finish what he started, he was greeted rudely by a leadoff double and a hard lineout right back to the mound. However, he then got a popup for the second out and, after a run-scoring single, induced a groundout from senior designated hitter James Versage to end the game. It was the first complete game of the season by a Franklin Pierce pitcher.

Franklin Pierce opened up a 4-0 lead over the Spartans with two runs in the fourth and two more in the fifth. In the fourth, an error and a pair of walks loaded the bases with one out for senior second baseman James Boria (Massapequa, N.Y.), who pulled an RBI single through the left side of the infield. Senior first baseman Jonel Ozuna (New York, N.Y.) followed and lifted a sacrifice fly to center. In the fifth, the Ravens capitalized on another error and a walk, both of which were cashed in via a two-run double to the gap in left-center by junior designated hitter Charles Lebron (Brooklyn, N.Y.).

St. Thomas Aquinas got two back in the bottom of the sixth. Sophomore third baseman Andrew Jemison led off with a single back up the middle and came all the way around to score on a double to straightaway center by center fielder Anthony Maisano. After an infield single, the second run of the inning scored when senior first baseman Brian Donnelly bounced into a double play. The Franklin Pierce defense turned four double plays in the contest.

Franklin Pierce added two important insurance runs in the top of the ninth. Ozuna led off and launched his third home run of the season an estimated 370 feet to right-center. Sophomore right fielder Graham Smith (Wilmington, Mass.) followed with a bunt single and later scored on a sacrifice fly by senior catcher Dylan Jones (Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.). The Spartans picked up the aforementioned run in the last of the ninth to create the 6-3 final.

Senior right-hander Angelo Baez (2-1) started and threw 100 pitches (67 strikes) over six innings on the mound for STAC. He allowed four runs (one earned) on two hits, walked three, hit a batter and struck out seven while taking the loss.

Game 2: Indiana (Pa.) 8, Franklin Pierce 5

Free passes were the story of the day in the second game, as Franklin Pierce pitching issued nine walks, six of which came around to score. The only two IUP runners to score who did not reach base via walk were the two Crimson Hawks who hit home runs, both of which were multiple-run shots thanks to preceding walks.

The game was tied 3-3 through four innings, before IUP took control later in the game. It was two in the fifth, as freshman shortstop Harrison Pontoli took a leadoff walk and scored when junior first baseman Nick Hess blasted his first home run of the season an estimated 375 feet into the gap in right-center. The Crimson Hawks added three important insurance runs in the seventh, as Hess and junior third baseman Austin Mueller took back-to-back walks to start the inning. The free bases came back to hurt with two outs, when freshman Colton Burd slugged a pinch-hit, three-run homer an estimated 355 feet to straightaway right, for his first long ball of the season.

Franklin Pierce notched a run each in the seventh and ninth innings, but could get no closer. In the seventh, Jones drove a two-out triple over the head of the right fielder and scored on a sacrifice fly by graduate student third baseman Tyler Patane (Lake Grove, N.Y.). In the ninth, sophomore center fielder Joel Lara (Boston, Mass.) tripled deep into the gap in left-center and scored on an RBI single through the left side by Jones, who went 4-for-5 in the game.

Senior right-hander Connor Sahlin (Litchfield, N.H.) started on the mound and used 101 pitches (56 strikes) to get through five innings for Franklin Pierce. He allowed five runs on three hits, walked six, struck out five and suffered the loss.

Junior right-hander Ian Logue (1-2) started and threw 84 pitches (51 strikes) over five-plus innings for IUP. He surrendered three runs on five hits, walked three and struck out one. Sophomore left-hander Tyler Mulhollen later recorded the final two outs to pick up his first save of the year, as he retired the only two batters he faced.

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).