RIDNGE, N.H. (May 27, 2021) -- Graduate student left-hander Shawn Babineau (Ashland, Mass.) was dinged for four runs on six hits, including a three-run homer, over just 3.1 innings, and things didn't get any better from there on Thursday afternoon for the fourth-seeded and host Franklin Pierce University baseball team at Pappas Field. Freshman Garrett Scavelli and sophomore David Franchi had four hits apiece and drove in 11 runs between them to lead third-seeded Molloy to a 13-5 rout of the Ravens on the first day of the NCAA Championship East Regional.

With the loss, Franklin Pierce falls to 22-10, and will face elimination at 3 p.m. Friday, against the winner of Thursday's final game, which features top-seeded Southern New Hampshire and sixth-seeded Dominican (N.Y.). With the win, Molloy improves to 22-9 and will square off with fifth-seeded Goldey-Beacom at 7 p.m. Friday.

Trailing 3-0 early, Molloy struck for the lead for good with a four-spot in the last of the fourth. A one-out single and walk put a pair on for Scavelli, who brought everybody home. He went the other way and drove a three-run home run, his first collegiate home run, an estimated 355 feet to straightaway right to tie the game. After a hit batsman, sophomore David Franchi drove a double deep into the gap in right-center to score junior Chris Peralta and put the Lions out front, 4-3.

Franklin Pierce threatened to take control of the game in the top of the seventh, but failed to capitalize. A pair of hit batters and a fielder's choice which Molloy failed to record an out on loaded the bases for the cleanup hitter, senior Jonel Ozuna (New York, N.Y.), with one out. Ozuna got out in front of the count 3-0, but it all went downhill from there.

Junior left-hander Christopher Wiercinski pumped a fastball in for strike one, then Ozuna hit a pop fly foul behind the plate and out of play to bring the count full. Wiercinski went to the slider, which Ozuna pulled off of and swung through for the second out. Senior Dylan Jones (Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.) followed and bounced into a fielder's choice to end the inning.

Molloy made the missed chance hurt in the bottom half, as the Lions struck for six and took control of the game. Scavelli clubbed a three-run double into the gap in right-center, and Franchi later provided the exclamation mark with a three-run homer to right-center, his second of the season.

Earlier in the day, Franklin Pierce had jumped out front early, 2-0, on a first-inning home run by graduate student Tyler Patane (Lake Grove, N.Y.). His seventh of the season was a blast of an estimated 400 feet to deep right-center. The Ravens got another in the third, on an RBI single by junior Joel Lara (Boston, Mass.), and would later pick up single runs in the eighth and ninth, but it would not be nearly enough.

Babineau (3-2) needed 60 pitches (39 strikes) for 3.1 innings. He allowed four runs on six hits, walked one, hit a batter and struck out two. The Ravens used seven pitchers to get through the game, issued seven walks and hit a pair of batters for good measure.

Meanwhile, graduate student right-hander Timothy Panetta (6-2) threw 92 pitches (57 strikes), allowed three runs on five hits, walked two and struck out six. Wiercinski allowed two runs on four hits, with one walk and three strikeouts, over the final three innings to pick up his first save of the season.