CARY, N.C. (March 6, 2022) -- It turned out to not be the most productive trip to the USA Baseball National Training Complex for the No. 24 nationally ranked Franklin Pierce University baseball team. The Ravens have, with near certainty, left their national ranking behind in the Tar Heel State, after a 1-4 trip, which was capped on Sunday morning with a 5-4 loss to No. 22 West Chester.

With the loss, Franklin Pierce sinks back to .500, at 5-5, while West Chester improves to 8-2.

Franklin Pierce surged to an early 3-0 lead with one in the top half of the second and two more in the third on Sunday. In the second, sophomore Hunter Wilichoski (Hamilton, Mass.) singled to right and later came home to score on an RBI single to left by junior Max Gebauer (Guilderland, N.Y.). In the third, sophomore Ian Battipaglia (Cheshire, Conn.) singled to right, went first-to-third on a single to right by graduate student Charles Lebron (Brooklyn, N.Y.), and scored on an RBI single to left by junior Jake Miller (Waltham, Mass.). Lebron then scored on a first-and-third double-steal play, before Miller was tagged out between first and second to end the inning.

West Chester rallied with two in the third, two more in the fourth and one in the fifth to take the lead. The turning point came in the bottom of the fourth inning. Sophomore John DeMucci cranked a one-out double to left to put the tying run in scoring position. Graduate student Zack Wright did one better and gave the Golden Rams the lead, for good, as he clubbed his second home run of the season to left field. West Chester added an insurance run in the fifth, on an RBI double to left by graduate student Keith Flaherty.

Franklin Pierce got one back in the top of the sixth, but that was it. Junior Joel Lara (Boston, Mass.) picked up the RBI with a bases-loaded walk, to force home Miller, who had walked leading off the frame.

Junior right-hander Danny Gracia (Wilmington, Mass.) started on the mound and threw the first five innings for Franklin Pierce. He allowed five runs (three earned) on eight hits, hit one batter, struck out five, and suffered the loss (0-1).

Sophomore left-hander Gabe Rappa (3-0) took the ball and tossed the first six innings for West Chester. He surrendered four runs on 10 hits, walked three and struck out five. Freshman Kyle Lazer worked a 1-2-3 ninth with one strikeout for his first save of the season.

The Ravens will be back on the road next weekend, for a three-game non-conference series at Queens (N.Y.). The two teams will play a single game on Friday, March 11, at 3 p.m., and follow up with a noon doubleheader on Saturday.