Jabs drives in three

RINDGE, N.H. (March 12, 2015) – In a game which finished in an atmosphere resembling the postseason, the No. 9/12 nationally ranked Franklin Pierce University baseball team capitalized on four Assumption errors to tally three unearned runs and squeak out a 6-5 win in non-conference play at Dr. Arthur and Martha Pappas Field. Sophomore third baseman Jay Jabs (Schwenksville, Pa.) went 1-for-2 with a walk and a sacrifice fly while driving in three runs in the win. Sophomore designated hitter Mike Coggeshall hit 3-for-3 with a double and two walks and drove in three runs in defeat for Assumption.

With the win, Franklin Pierce improves to 10-0 (0-0 Northeast-10), while Assumption falls to 3-10 (0-0 Northeast-10). For the Ravens, the 10th straight win to start the campaign establishes a new program record for most wins to start a season. The team is also two in back of the program's record winning streak of 12 games, which it has accomplished on five separate occasions, most recently in 2013.

The Ravens opened the scoring with a pair of runs in the bottom of the first inning. Junior center fielder Maxx Sheehan (San Jose, Calif.) opened the offensive portion of Franklin Pierce's day with a fly ball to deep right field. Assumption sophomore right fielder Ben O'Donnell got turned around trying to track the ball in the strong wind which blew out to right field all day. As a result, the ball got over O'Donnell's head, one-hopped up against the fence and turned into a lead-off triple for Sheehan. Jabs followed and lifted a 1-0 pitch into right-center field for the sacrifice fly. Senior right fielder John Razzino (Cranston, R.I.) got things started up again immediately, with a tapper up the third-base line which wound up as an infield single. Razzino stole second, moved to third on a flyout to center by senior catcher Matt Walsh (Plymouth, Mass.) and scored on an RBI double into the gap in right-center by senior first baseman Matt O'Herron (Springfield, Mass.).

The Ravens doubled the lead to 4-0 with a pair of unearned runs in the bottom of the second inning. With two outs and nobody on, junior shortstop Justin Brock (Latham, N.Y.) hit a routine chopper on the left side, which was bobbled by Assumption freshman third baseman Jordan Roper for an error. Franklin Pierce made Assumption pay for the miscue as Brock stole second and moved to third on a wild pitch before Sheehan took a five-pitch walk to put runners at the corners. After Sheehan stole second, Jabs dumped a single into center field to plate both runs.

Assumption rallied to tie the game with one run in the top of the fourth and three more in the top of the fifth. In the fourth, senior first baseman Greg O'Donnell led off with a double into the gap in right-center field and Coggeshall followed with a six-pitch walk. Two batters later, Roper singled to center, but Sheehan charged hard from center field, fired a strike to Walsh at home and threw out Greg O'Donnell at the plate. Senior second baseman Kelvin Sims was next and slugged an RBI double over the head of Razzino in right to plate Coggeshall. The double spelled the end of the day for Franklin Pierce junior right-hander Paul Covelle (Medford, Mass.). He was replaced by senior right-hander Travis Landry (Loudon, N.H.), who got sophomore shortstop Matt Murphy to bounce out to third on the second pitch he threw to end the inning.

In the top of the fifth, junior catcher Tom Paine started things with one out and nobody on, when he got a 2-2 fastball over the heart of the plate from Landry. Paine deposited it into the snow bank beyond the fence in straightaway right field for a solo home run -- his first of the season -- of an estimated 360 feet. Immediately thereafter, senior left fielder Billy Johnson hit a soft ground ball to short on the seventh pitch of his at-bat. Brock fielded cleanly and threw on the run, but the throw went high and pulled O'Herron off the base at first, allowing Johnson to reach on the error. After a single by Greg O'Donnell moved Johnson to second, Coggeshall cashed in both runners with a two-run double into the gap in left-center field to tie the game. Senior right-hander Paul Fahey (Dorchester, Mass.) took over on the hill after the double and got a strike out and a lineout to prevent further damage.

Franklin Pierce answered immediately with two runs in the bottom of the fifth inning to take the lead for good. Facing freshman right-hander Kyle Chudoba, Sheehan opened the frame with a pop fly to shallow center, which dropped in between the center fielder, second baseman and shortstop and turned into a hustle double. Sheehan moved to third on a groundout on the right side by Jabs, before Razzino worked a six-pitch walk. Razzino then stole second and advanced to third on an errant throw down to second by Paine, which also allowed Sheehan to score. Razzino then scored on an RBI single to center field by Walsh.

After Fahey and junior right-hander Adam Fournier (Dartmouth, Mass.) combined to throw 3.2 scoreless innings, things wound up tense with senior right-hander Doug Willey (Shelburne, N.H.) on the mound in the ninth. Another throwing error by Brock, this one in the dirt, allowed junior center fielder Michael Panza to reach leading off. Panza moved to second when Paine followed with a single to center, before Willey struck out Greg O'Donnell looking on the fourth pitch for the first out of the inning. Coggeshall was next and lined the second pitch into left field to plate Panza and move Paine to second holding the tying run. Senior Colin Clancy came to the plate as a pinch hitter for Assumption and battled his way to an eight-pitch walk to load the bases and move the tying run to third. The Greyhounds opted for pinch runners at first and second before the game came to a head with Roper at the plate. Willey got out in front of Roper at 0-2 and then froze him with a slider on the outside corner to end the game and send the Ravens spilling out of the third-base dugout to celebrate.

Covelle started and threw the first 3.2 innings on Thursday for Franklin Pierce. He threw 59 pitches (34 strikes), allowed one run on five hits, walked three, struck out three and did not factor in the decision. Fahey earned the win (2-0) out of the bullpen with 2.1 shutout innings of work, over which he allowed one hit, walked one and struck out two. Willey allowed the unearned run on two hits in the ninth, walked one and struck out the side in his 27-pitch (20 strikes) journey to his second save of the year.

Junior right-hander Steve Flynn started and threw 45 pitches (27 strikes) over the first two innings on the mound for Assumption. He also did not factor in the decision after being touched for four runs (two earned) on four hits, walked one and struck out one. Chudoba took over to start the fifth and took the loss (1-2) after allowing two runs (one earned) on two hits and a walk.

The Ravens return to the field on Friday, March 13, when they remain home to host Post in a non-conference contest. First pitch is set for 3 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).