Cote Leads Way As Baseball Blanks Assumption, 3-0
![Cote Leads Way As Baseball Blanks Assumption, 3-0](/images/bb/2007-08/action/prestoaction/Cote02.jpg?max_width=600)
Senior tosses eight shutout innings
|
RINDGE, N.H. (April 14,
2009) – Senior right-hander Tom Cote (Swanzey, N.H./Monadnock
Regional) threw eight shutout innings and matched his career
high with 11 strikeouts on Tuesday afternoon to lead the Franklin
Pierce University baseball team to a 3-0 victory over Assumption in
Northeast-10 Conference play at Dr. Arthur and Martha Pappas Field.
Freshman catcher Mike Dowd (East
Bridgewater, Mass./Cardinal Spellman) went 2-for-4 with an
RBI double and scored a run on the afternoon.
Franklin Pierce opened the scoring with a run without the benefit
of a hit in the bottom of the second inning. With one out, graduate
student center fielder Cliff Hicks
(Merrimack, N.H./Merrimack HS) worked a walk then stole
second and stole third. After a walk to freshman third baseman
Ben Benigno (Trumbull,
Conn./Trumbull) put runners at the corners, Hicks scored on
a delayed steal of home as Benigno stole second.
The Ravens added a pair of runs in the bottom of the third inning
to take a 3-0 lead, which would prove to be the final score. With
one out, sophomore designated hitter Derek Ingui (Sterling, Mass./Wachusett
Regional) lined a single into left-center field and came all
the way around to score from right-center field when Dowd hit a
double that hopped over the head of the right fielder in the
right-center field gap. Dowd moved to third when junior right
fielder Kevin Rivers (Bristol,
Conn./Bristol Eastern) roped a single into right field and
then scored on a sacrifice fly to center field by senior left
fielder Ted Lerud (Hampden,
Mass./Minnechaug Regional).
Meanwhile, Cote threw a gem on the mound to pick up the win (5-2)
for Franklin Pierce. Over eight shutout innings, he allowed four
hits, walked one and matched his career high with 11 strikeouts.
Sophomore right-hander Rob
Nicholas (Northboro, Mass./Algonquin Regional) threw a
scoreless night, allowed one hit and struck out one to notch his
fifth save of the season.
Senior right-hander Jeff Barbale (Charlton, Mass./Saint
Peter-Marian) tossed seven innings and took the loss (5-2) for
Assumption. He surrendered three runs on six hits, walked two and
struck out five.
The Ravens (20-13, 11-4 Northeast-10) return to the field on
Thursday, April 16, when they make the return trip to Assumption
(17-12-1, 10-5-1 Northeast-10) for a Northeast-10 Conference
contest. First pitch is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. at Rocheleau Field
in Worcester, Mass.