Ravens now 19-1

RINDGE, N.H. (March 21, 2015) – Junior right-hander Miles Sheehan (Madison, Conn.) scattered seven hits over seven innings of one-run ball in the second game on Saturday night, as the No. 4/7 nationally ranked Franklin Pierce University baseball team finished off a doubleheader sweep of New Haven with a 6-1 win in Northeast-10 Conference play at Dr. Arthur and Martha Pappas Field. In the first game of the day, sophomore second baseman Kyle Hood (Arlington, Mass.) hit his first collegiate home run as the Ravens picked up a 10-5 victory.

With the win, Franklin Pierce improves to 19-1 (2-0 Northeast-10), while New Haven falls to 2-6 (0-2 Northeast-10). The games were the Northeast-10 openers for both teams. Franklin Pierce played as the visiting team in both games, which were originally scheduled to be played at New Haven, before unplayable field conditions forced their relocation.

In the first game, New Haven opened the scoring with a run in the bottom of the third inning. Senior first baseman Zach Collett led off the inning with a triple the other way into the gap in right-center and scored when junior catcher TJ Riccio followed with an RBI groundout.

Franklin Pierce answered immediately with a run in the top of the fourth inning to tie the game at 1-1. With one out, senior right fielder John Razzino (Cranston, R.I.) singled back up the middle, stole second, stole third and scored on a sacrifice fly to center field by junior first baseman Matt O'Herron (Springfield, Mass.).

The Ravens took the lead for good, at 2-1, with a run in the top of the sixth. Razzino started things with one out again, this time by pulling a double down the left-field line, and scored when senior catcher Matt Walsh (Plymouth, Mass.) followed with an RBI double into the gap in left-center.

Franklin Pierce tacked on a run in the top of the seventh to push the lead to 3-1. Hood led off with his first career home run, a solo shot to left-center, which traveled approximately 375 feet.

New Haven answered with a run in the bottom of the seventh to cut the gap to 3-2. Senior right fielder Kyle Cullen clubbed a two-out double to right field and came around to score on an RBI single to center by senior designated hitter Brendan O'Reilly.

The Ravens responded with a pair of unearned runs in the top of the eighth to stretch the lead back to 5-2. With two outs, Walsh singled back through the middle and O'Herron followed with a bouncer to third, which should have been the final out of the inning. Instead, sophomore third baseman Jack Zagaja threw the ball away, which allowed O'Herron to reach and advance to second, while Walsh moved around to third. Sophomore designated hitter Chris LaVorgna (North Haven, Conn.) cashed them both in immediately with a two-run single back through the middle.

Franklin Pierce broke the game open with five runs in the top of the ninth to make it a 10-2 game. Razzino had the big blow of the inning with a two-run triple into the gap in left-center, while O'Herron and junior center fielder Maxx Sheehan (San Jose, Calif.) each knocked home runs as well.

New Haven picked up three runs in the bottom of the ninth to create the 10-5 final. Cullen had an RBI double in the inning, freshman Joe Caico had a pinch-hit RBI single and Riccio drove in a run with a sacrifice fly.

Senior right-hander Brendan O'Rourke (Shrewsbury, Mass.) did not have his best stuff on the mound for Franklin Pierce in the first game, as he needed 105 pitches (59 strikes) to get through 5.1 innings. He allowed one run -- the first against him this year in now 31.1 innings -- on three hits, issued six walks and struck out seven on the way to the win (5-0).

Sophomore left-hander Vincent Aprea took the ball in the first game for New Haven and tossed 93 pitches (59 strikes) over six innings. He allowed two runs on five hits, walked three, struck out five and was hit with the loss (1-1).

In the second game, Franklin Pierce opened the scoring with a pair of runs in the top of the second inning. Walsh led off with a single up the middle and moved around to third on a double the other way into the gap in right-center by O'Herron. A LaVorgna RBI groundout scored Walsh and moved O'Herron to third, before Hood cashed him in as well with an RBI triple to right-center.

The Ravens pushed the lead to 3-0 with a run in the top of the fourth. O'Herron started things with a one-out single to left, stole second and scored on an RBI single through the right side of the infield by Hood.

New Haven put together its only run of the second game in the bottom of the sixth to cut the gap to 3-1. Sophomore left fielder Robert Petrillo Jr. led off with a double to left-center, moved to third on a groundout and later scored on an RBI single to center by Cullen.

Franklin Pierce tacked on two insurance runs in the top of the eighth and one more in the ninth to create the 6-1 final. In the eighth, Jabs clubbed an RBI triple down the right-field line and Walsh hammered an RBI double over the head of the center fielder. In the ninth, Hood was hit by a pitch and later scored on an RBI single to center by Maxx Sheehan.

Miles Sheehan tossed 106 pitches (69 strikes) over seven innings on the hill for Franklin Pierce. He allowed one run, scattered seven hits, walked one and struck out four to pick up the win (2-0).

New Haven sent freshman right-hander David Palmer to the mound in the second game, and he threw 76 pitches (53 strikes) over five innings. He was charged with three runs on six hits, did not issue a walk, struck out six and took the loss (0-2).

The Ravens return to the field on Wednesday, March 25, when they remain home to host Southern New Hampshire in their Northeast-10 Conference Northeast Division opener. First pitch is set for 3:30 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).