Ravens staff throws three hitter

RINDGE, N.H. (March 23, 2013) – Sophomore left fielder John Razzino (Cranston, R.I.) lined an RBI double into the right-field corner to score what would stand as the winning run in the top of the ninth inning on Saturday afternoon, as the Franklin Pierce University baseball team picked up a 3-2 win over Le Moyne in Northeast-10 Conference play at Dr. Arthur and Martha Pappas Field. Junior right-hander Trevor Graham (Sebastian, Fla.) struck out 11 over six innings in the victory for Franklin Pierce.

With the win, Franklin Pierce improves to 11-9 (1-0 Northeast-10), while Le Moyne falls to 6-11 (0-1 Northeast-10). The game was originally scheduled to be played at Le Moyne; as such, Franklin Pierce played as the visiting team.

The Ravens opened the scoring with a run in the top of the third inning. Freshman second baseman Rich Patrizio (East Northport, N.Y.) opened the inning with a first-pitch double down the left-field line. He moved to third on a sacrifice bunt and later scored on a wild pitch.

Le Moyne plated a pair of unearned runs in the bottom half of the third to take a 2-1 lead. Freshman shortstop Brett Charbonneau led off and reached on catcher's interference. He took second on a wild pitch and moved to third while junior left fielder Pat Wiese reached on an error by junior first baseman Zach Mathieu (Derry, N.H.). After Wiese stole second, senior center fielder Zack Wiley knocked a double over the head of the left fielder to drive home both runs.

Franklin Pierce tied the game at 2-2 with a run in the top of the seventh. Senior right fielder Nick LaCroix (Grafton, Mass.) drove a lead-off double the other way into the gap in right-center field. Later, he moved to third on a wild pitch and scored when sophomore third baseman Matt O'Herron (Springfield, Mass.) bounced an RBI single back up the middle.

The Ravens struck for the eventual winning run in the top of the ninth to create the 3-2 final. With one out, sophomore designated hitter Matt Walsh (Plymouth, Mass.) hit a ground ball deep in the hole at shortstop and legged out an infield single. Walsh was lifted for sophomore pinch runner Ryan Boswell (New Bedford, Mass.), who stole second, moved to third on a ground ball on the right side by O'Herron and scored when Razzino lined an RBI double down the right-field line.

Meanwhile, Graham was in and out of trouble, as he needed 108 pitches to get through six innings, but was dominant for stretches. Over the first three innings, he recorded eight of the nine outs via the strikeout, including five in a row at one point, on his way to 11 strikeouts. He also issued three walks, hit two batters and threw a wild pitch while surrendering only two hits and two runs, both of which were unearned.

Graham did not factor in the decision, as sophomore right-hander Brendan O'Rourke (Shrewsbury, Mass.) picked up the win (2-0) out of the bullpen. He pitched the eighth inning and the first third of the night without allowing a run and surrendered one hit. Junior right-hander Joe Flynn (Plymouth, Mass.) got the final two outs of the game while walking one and striking out one to earn his second save of the season.

On the other side of the diamond, senior right-hander Kevin Carroll threw the first eight innings for Le Moyne and tossed 126 pitches while doing so. He allowed two runs on four hits, walked two, hit a batter, threw three wild pitches, struck out 10 and did not factor in the decision. Sophomore right-hander Zach Place took the loss (1-3) out of the bullpen for the Dolphins. He pitched the ninth inning and allowed one run on two hits.

The Ravens return to the field on Sunday, March 24, when they remain home to host Saint Rose in a Northeast-10 Conference doubleheader. First pitch is scheduled for 2 p.m. at Pappas Field.

For more information on Franklin Pierce Athletics, please visit the official website of Franklin Pierce Athletics (http://athletics.franklinpierce.edu). Also be sure to follow the Ravens through the Department of Athletics' official Facebook page (http://www.facebook.com/FranklinPierceRavens), its YouTube channel (http://www.youtube.com/franklinpiercesports) and its Twitter feed (http://twitter.com/FPUathletics). Fans wishing to purchase Franklin Pierce baseball apparel can do so at the Department of Athletics' online store (http://athletics.franklinpierce.edu/store).