MANCHESTER, N.H. (May 2, 2021) -- A day after a pair of gut-wrenching defeats, the Franklin Pierce University baseball team managed to at least take one from their four-game weekend series at No. 13/21 nationally ranked Southern New Hampshire. The Ravens thumped out 14 hits in the front end of a Sunday twinbill to take a 15-6 victory at Penmen Field. In the second game, two SNHU pitchers combined to chuck a four-hit shutout as the Penmen posted an 8-0 win.

With the Northeast-10 Conference split, Franklin Pierce moves to 15-7 (12-6 NE10) on the year. SNHU now stands at 17-3 (17-3 NE10) after taking three out of four over the weekend.

Game 1: Franklin Pierce 15, Southern New Hampshire 6

The Ravens fell behind early in the seven-inning affair, but then used the back half of the game to wash the taste of Saturday out of their mouths. Trailing 3-1, Franklin Pierce utilized a six-run top of the fourth to turn the tide on the Penmen. Senior Dylan Jones (Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.) opened the inning's scoring with a one-out solo home run to left-center, his sixth of the season. A double by senior John Mead (Washington Township, N.J.), a walk and an error combined to tie the game, and then an intentional walk loaded the bases for sophomore Ian Battipaglia (Cheshire, Conn.).

Battipaglia took exception and promptly emptied the bases, as he went the other way and drilled a three-run double into the gap in right-center, which would stand as the game's pivotal hit. The two-bagger put the Ravens ahead to stay and chased SNHU graduate student right-hander Wesley Tobin from the game in favor of the bullpen. Graduate student Tyler Patane (Lake Grove, N.Y.) greeted the reliever with an RBI double down the right-field line to score Battipaglia and expand the lead to 7-3.

Franklin Pierce would keep the pedal down from there. The Ravens added three in the fifth, three in the sixth and two more in the seventh to win going away, 15-6.

The second career start for freshman right-hander Sean Foody (Tappan, N.Y.) did not go quite as effectively as the first, as he departed after a three-run first inning. Sophomore right-hander Andres Auffant (Center Moriches, N.Y.) threw one-run ball and allowed only one hit over the next three innings to pick up the win (3-1). Senior right-hander Jack Wallace (Winthrop, Mass.) threw the final three innings, allowed two runs on three hits and struck out four to notch his second save of the season.

Tobin (3-1) did not get much help from his defense, but also did himself few favors over 3.2 innings. He was charged with seven runs, of which only two were earned, on five hits. However, two of those hits were home runs, and he also issued three walks, against five strikeouts, on the way to the loss.

Game 2: Southern New Hampshire 8, Franklin Pierce 0

The Ravens could have used some of their 15 runs from the first game to make the second game more interesting, were that an option. Instead, the bats fell silent in the second game, as a pair of SNHU pitchers held Franklin Pierce to just four hits, all singles, in the shutout.

Graduate student right-hander Nick Artymowicz (5-0) threw the first 5.2 innings, allowed all four of the hits, walked four, hit a batter and struck out six to pick up the win. Sophomore right-hander Ricky Alexy took over in a bases-loaded, two-out jam in the sixth, got a pop-up to himself on the mound and went on to retire all 10 batters he faced, including a pair of strikeouts, to earn his second save of the year.

The Penmen got their pitchers the only run they would need in the bottom of the third. With one out, graduate student Joshua Goldstein was hit by a pitch, moved to second on a balk, went to third on a groundout and scored on an RBI single to left by junior Idelson Taveras.

SNHU would add two in the fifth, three in the sixth and two in the eighth, but all were superfluous, as the Ravens never got on the board.

Junior right-hander Danny Gracia (Wilmington, Mass.) took the ball and suffered the loss (0-1) for Franklin Pierce. Over 4.2 innings, he allowed three runs on four hits, walked one, hit three batters and struck out two.