RUTHERSFORD, N.J. (3/18/23) – A three-run six inning provided the boost that the Franklin Pierce baseball team needed to earn a 4-2 victory over Felician University on Saturday afternoon at Breslin Field.

The win kicks off the weekend series with the Golden Eagles and improves Pierce baseball to 10-4 on the season. Felician drops to 7-13 with their fourth consecutive loss.

A scoreless first inning eventually gave way to the game's first batch of runs in the bottom of the second. With runners at the corners, Felician opened the scoring on an RBI single up the middle by outfielder Chris Hernandez. Two batters later, with the bases now loaded, utility player Thomas Kendrick extended the lead to 2-0 after reaching on a fielder's choice. Both clubs would then go scoreless through the third inning.

The Ravens slashed the Felician lead in half in the top of the fourth, finding some of their own success with the bases loaded. In similar fashion to the Felician scenario, sophomore infielder Connor Smalley (West Sayville, N.Y.) plated the Ravens' first run of the day on a fielder's choice, scoring senior Joseph Pesce (Lake Mary, Fla.). To close the fourth, Pierce quickly retired all three Felician batters faced on a fly-out to right field  and a pair of swinging strikeouts.

In the top of the sixth inning, the Ravens worked some two-out magic. With runners at second and third as the result of two straight Felician walks, junior infielder Julien Monks (Pacé, France) plated both after reaching second on an off-target throw by the center fielder, giving Pierce their first lead of the game at 3-2. To keep the frame alive, senior catcher Max Gebauer (Guilderland, N.Y.) brought Monks home from second on an RBI single to left field, wrapping up the offense for the evening with Pierce now leading 4-2.

Over the course of the final three innings, it was all about lead management for the Ravens, who limited the Golden Eagles to just two hits and four left on base.

It was another quality start on the mound for junior righthander Kyle Roche (Braintree, Mass.), who remains perfect this season (4-0) after tossing 6.1 innings with one earned run allowed on three hits, walking three and striking out six. Juniors Sean Foody (Tappan, N.Y.) and Tyler McDonald (Haverhill, Mass. ) combined for two innings of scoreless relief, before graduate Brian Hadden (Newburyport, Mass.) earned the save in the ninth. McDonald struck out two Felician batters.

Two more are on the docket for Pierce baseball against Felician, as the weekend series wraps up on Sunday, March 19^th with a doubleheader beginning at Noon and 3:30 p.m.