RINDGE, N.H. (April 2, 2021) -- The conditions at Dr. Arthur and Martha Pappas Field on Friday afternoon and evening may have been one last blast of winter, but the bats were nice and toasty for the Franklin Pierce University baseball team. The Ravens piled up 27 runs on 25 hits over the course of a Northeast-10 Conference doubleheader, as they dealt Assumption losses of 16-0 and 11-4 to open a four-game weekend series. In the first game, senior Jonel Ozuna (New York, N.Y.) hit a grand slam as part of a six-RBI outing, while junior Randy Flores (Brooklyn, N.Y.) went 3-for-3 with three doubles and drove in four runs in the second game.

With the wins, Franklin Pierce improves to 7-2 (4-2 NE10), while Assumption falls to 2-2 (2-2 NE10).

Game 1: Franklin Pierce 16, Assumption 0

Franklin Pierce seized control of the first game with an eight-spot in the bottom of the fourth, all after the first two batters of the inning were retired. From there, 10 straight Ravens reached base, via seven hits, two errors and a walk. Ozuna and senior Dylan Jones (Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.) each had two-run doubles in the frame, while Flores pulled a two-run single through right side of the infield. Juniors Ryan Lavelle (East Longmeadow, Mass.) and Jake Miller (Waltham, Mass.) each pulled RBI singles into left in the inning as well.

The Ravens added single runs in fifth, sixth and seventh innings to continue to grow the lead, before a five-run eighth capped things off. After graduate student Tyler Patane (Lake Grove, N.Y.) was hit by a pitch with the bases full to force in a run, Ozuna provided the exclamation mark, as he unloaded the bases with a grand slam. His first home run of the season checked in at an estimated 375 feet to right-center field.

Meanwhile, three Franklin Pierce pitchers were busy combining to author a four-hit shutout. Graduate student right-hander Seb Gruszecki (Dudley, Mass.) used 93 pitches (54 strikes) to get through the first six innings and pick up the win (2-0). He allowed two hits, walked four and struck out five.

Junior right-hander MacGuire O'Sullivan (0-1) started and took the loss on the hill for Assumption. He threw 63 pitches (39 strikes) over 3.2 innings and allowed eight runs, though only one of them was earned. O'Sullivan surrendered seven hits, walked three and struck out two.

Game 2: Franklin Pierce 11, Assumption 4

In the second game, Assumption jumped out to an early lead with two runs in the top of the second. Graduate student Matt Lonardo walked leading off and moved around to third on a double down the right-field line by freshman Jared Berardino. Both runners came around to score when senior Dillon Zona followed, went the other way and drove a two-run double deep into the gap in right-center.

Franklin Pierce answered immediately though, with a six spot in the bottom of the second, and never looked back. After two walks and a hit batsman loaded the bases with one out, junior Joel Lara (Boston, Mass.) drew the third walk of the inning to force in a run. Flores then doubled to right-center to drive home a pair, and Jones followed with a two-run single back up the middle. Miller added an RBI single up the middle later in the inning as well, which knocked the Assumption starter, sophomore left-hander Jack Choate, out of the game after just 1.2 innings.

From there, Assumption plated a run in the top of the third, but Franklin Pierce responded again, with three in the bottom half, to make it a 9-3 game. Two more in the fifth pushed the lead as high as 11-3. Junior Connor Wironen provided a rare highlight of the day for Assumption in the top of the seventh, as he yanked his first home run of the season an estimated 345 feet down the right-field line to create the 11-4 final.

Freshman right-hander Kyle Roche (Braintree, Mass.) started on the mound for Franklin Pierce, but did not stick around long enough to pick up the win. He used 56 pitches (37 strikes) to get through 2.1 innings, allowed three runs on four hits, walked three, hit a batter and struck out two. Junior right-hander Zack Brundage (Wellington, Fla.) came on in the third and threw a strong final 4.2 innings to pick up the win (2-0). He allowed one run on just one hit, which was Wironen's solo home run. Brundage did not issue a walk and struck out three.

Choate (0-1) was roughed up over his 1.2 innings on the hill, which required 66 pitches (36 strikes). He was tagged for six runs on four hits, walked four, hit a batter and struck out five.