RINDGE, N.H. (April 13, 2022) -- Back in action for the first time in 10 days, the bats for the Franklin Pierce University baseball team showed no sign of any rust on Wednesday afternoon at Pappas Field. The Ravens hammered out 25 hits, including four home runs, and cruised to a doubleheader sweep of Saint Rose in non-conference play. In the first game, a grand slam from junior Graham Smith (Wilmington, Mass.) highlighted a 19-hit attack in a 20-10 Franklin Pierce victory. The Ravens utilized a five-run fourth to chalk up a 9-2 win in the nightcap.

With the wins, Franklin Pierce improves to 16-8, while Saint Rose falls to 11-17. The two teams will meet again on Wednesday, April 20, at Saint Rose, for another non-conference twinbill.

Game 1: Franklin Pierce 20, Saint Rose 10

With the game tied at 7-7 halfway through, the Ravens used a run in the fifth to take the lead for good, and then added four more in the sixth to build some breathing room. Smith factored heavily in both innings

In the fifth, Smith rapped a leadoff single back up the middle, stole second, stole third and then scored on a sacrifice fly by junior Joel Lara (Boston, Mass.). In the sixth, a double by junior Jake Miller (Waltham, Mass.), a walk to sophomore Jose Savinon (Brooklyn, N.Y.) and a bunt single by sophomore Ryan Lavelle (East Longmeadow, Mass.) loaded the bases with nobody out. Smith promptly unloaded them, with a towering home run of an estimated 345 feet to straightaway left field. His second home run of the season was his first career grand slam.

Saint Rose clawed two back in the seventh to make it 12-9, but the Ravens put things well out of reach with an eight-spot in the last of the eighth. Sophomore Ian Battipaglia (Cheshire, Conn.) and Savinon both cranked three-run home runs in the frame. The former went 385 feet into the power alley in right-center for his third of the year, while the latter went 350 feet to straightaway left for his fourth of the campaign.

Sophomore right-hander Andres Auffant (Center Moriches, N.Y.) started for Franklin Pierce but could not get through five innings to secure himself a win. He threw 76 pitches (52 strikes) over 4.1 innings, allowed six runs on eight hits, walked one and struck out two. Sophomore right-hander James Draughn (Framingham, Mass.) chalked up the win (1-0) with 2.2 innings of work out of the bullpen. He allowed three runs on two hits, walked one and struck out two.

Saint Rose took an all-staff approach to the doubleheader and used nine pitchers to get through the first game. Sophomore right-hander Sean Crowley (0-1) was on the mound in the fifth and suffered the loss, as he surrendered a run on two hits. Saint Rose pitching issued 12 walks, hits three batters and threw four wild pitches in the game.

Game 2: Franklin Pierce 9, Saint Rose 2

Already holding a 3-2 lead, Franklin Pierce seized control of the second game with five runs in the bottom of the fourth. Lara drove in a run with a sacrifice fly and sophomore Randy Flores (Brooklyn, N.Y.) chased home another with an RBI single. It was graduate student Charles Lebron (Brooklyn, N.Y.) who provided the inning's keynote though, as he slugged a three-run homer -- the third three-run shot of the doubleheader for the Ravens -- an estimated 385 feet to left-center for his third of the season.

Senior right-hander Jake Ursillo (North Haledon, N.J.) slung 64 pitches (44 strikes) over four innings in his first collegiate start and the longest outing of his career. He allowed a pair of unearned runs on three hits, hit two batters and struck out five on the way to the win (2-2).

It was five more pitchers in the second game for Saint Rose. Sophomore right-hander Chris Palmer (0-2) started, threw the first two innings, allowed three runs (two earned) on two hits, hit one batter and struck out two.

The Ravens host Saint Anselm for a four-game Northeast-10 Conference series this weekend, with doubleheaders both Friday and Saturday. First pitch is set for 1 p.m. on Friday and noon on Saturday at Pappas Field.