MOREHEAD CITY, N.C. (3/5/23) – To close out their season opening journey to the Carolinas, the Franklin Pierce baseball team took a loss against Post University on Sunday afternoon, falling by a final score of 6-2.

With the setback, the Ravens shift to 7-2 overall on the season, having claimed three of the four games in this past weekend's series against the Eagles. Post improves to 7-8 on the season following the victory.

Both teams would quickly go down in the first inning, before the Post University offense began to kick things up a notch in the top of the second. With runners in scoring position, an RBI double by Post would deliver the days' first run, which would then be boosted to a 2-0 lead just two batters later on an RBI single. Post would then plate another pair of runs in the top of the third inning, once again off an RBI double and single, to claim a 4-0 advantage entering the bottom half.

It was in the bottom of the third where Pierce was able to find a response, though limited. With one out, and senior baserunner Joel Lara (Boston, Mass.) at second, junior infielder Julien Monks (Pacé, France) would break the Ravens out of their early game slump with an RBI single to the pitcher, scoring Lara to bring the score to 4-1.

However, the Raven offense would never truly find its tempo throughout the remainder of the game. Only one other runner would make their way across home plate for Pierce, which would not come until the bottom of the seventh inning. With two outs, the Ravens utilized some Post pitching struggles to their advantage and eventually loaded the bases off a double to left field by sophomore Connor Smalley (West Sayville, N.Y.) and a pair of walked batters. Junior Hunter Wilichoski (Hamilton, Mass.) would then get hit by a stray pitch to plate the runner from third, rounding out the Raven offense for the day. Post would score twice more with runs in the fifth and ninth innings to claim the 6-2 win.

On the mound to start the afternoon was junior right-hander Tyler McDonald (Haverhill, Mass.), who tossed just one inning with two runs allowed on four hits, and a pair of strikeouts to move to 1-1 on the season. Six other pitchers would enter in relief at some point in the game, combining for four runs allowed on ten hits, five walks and ten total strikeouts.

Baseball will have the week off before hitting the dusty trail once more for a weekend series at Jefferson University, beginning with a single game on Friday, March 10^th at Noon.