EASTON, Mass. (March 30, 2016) – The No. 3/5 nationally ranked Franklin Pierce University baseball team scored runs in eight different innings on Thursday afternoon, buoying a lackluster starting pitching performance and using its bats to roll to a 20-7 win over Stonehill. The 13-run victory at Lou Gorman Field completed the Ravens' three-game, Northeast-10 Conference, Northeast Division series sweep of the Skyhawks.

With the win, Franklin Pierce improves to 22-2 (4-0 Northeast-10, 4-0 Northeast Division) and has won nine in a row, while Stonehill falls to 11-10 (0-4 Northeast-10, 0-4 Northeast Division). It marked the second straight year the Ravens have swept the three-game, regular-season series from the Skyhawks.

Franklin Pierce opened a wild first two innings with three runs in the top of the first inning. Senior shortstop Justin Brock (Latham, N.Y.) reached with an infield single, stole second, took third on a wild pitch and scored on an RBI single through the right side by junior third baseman Jay Jabs (Schwenksville, Pa.). Jabs advanced to second on a first-pitch single to left by junior designated hitter Chris LaVorgna (North Haven, Conn.), moved to third on an errant pickoff throw and scored on an infield single by graduate student left fielder Matt Burns (Parkland, Fla.). For his part, LaVorgna moved to second on the error, went to third on the Burns single and scored on a throwing error as Burns stole second.

Stonehill cut the lead to 3-1 with a run in the home half of the first. Senior left fielder Brian Campbell doubled into the gap in left-center leading off, stole third and scored on an RBI infield single by senior catcher Brian Hocking.

The Ravens immediately pushed the lead up to 5-1 with a pair of runs in the top of the second. Senior first baseman Matthew O'Herron (Springfield, Mass.) knocked a leadoff single to center and moved to third when sophomore catcher Christopher Stanford (Quebec City, Quebec) followed with a double to left. Stanford moved to third and O'Herron scored on an RBI groundout by senior second baseman Kurtis White (Nahant, Mass.), while Stanford later scored when senior center fielder Maxx Sheehan (San Jose, Calif.) lifted a sacrifice fly to center field.

The lead would not last though, as Stonehill put up four runs and chased senior left-hander Gage Griffin (Moosup, Conn.) from the mound in the bottom of the second, tying the game at 5-5 in the process. Everything happened with two outs, as sophomore third baseman Isiah Nunez knocked a single through the left side and moved to second when senior second baseman Chris Hoyt walked. Nunez scored and Hoyt moved around to third when junior shortstop Steve Lee clubbed a ground-rule double into the gap in right-center field. Campbell was next and socked a two-run double of his own to center field and then scored when senior right fielder Eric Schneider dropped an RBI single inside the right-field line.

Franklin Pierce claimed the lead for good with two runs in the top of the third to take a 7-5 lead. Jabs singled to right leading off and went first-to-third on a single into right-center by LaVorgna. After LaVorgna stole second, Burns drove in Jabs with a sacrifice fly to center, which also moved LaVorgna to third. LaVorgna would later be credited with a steal of home on a first-and-third double-steal play.

The Ravens broke the game open with three runs in the top of the fourth inning to make it a 10-5 game. Brock led off with a single through the left side and moved to second as Jabs walked. After a double steal moved the runners to second and third, a LaVorgna single scored Brock and pushed Jabs to third. LaVorgna then stole second and both he and Jabs would score two batters later on a single back through the middle by senior right fielder Max DiTondo (Marshfield, Mass.).

Two more runs in the fifth and another in the sixth would stretch the lead out to 13-5. In the fifth, Brock went the other way for a two-run home run to right field, his second long ball of the season. In the sixth, DiTondo singled and later scored on a sacrifice fly by O'Herron.

The Ravens would turn the game into a laugher with four runs in the eighth and three more in the ninth to push the lead as high as 20-5. O'Herron provided the keynote address of the eighth inning, as he drove his first home run of the season, a grand slam, beyond the fence in left-center field. In the ninth, the bench got in on the fun. Sophomore Brad Roberto (San Diego, Calif.) drew a pinch-hit walk and scored on a pinch-hit, RBI single by sophomore Adam Chase (Bridgewater, Mass.). Freshman Andrew De Fanti (Beaconsfield, Quebec) was hit by a pitch while pinch hitting and scored on an RBI groundout by DiTondo. Lastly, sophomore John Friday (Southborough, Mass.) drew a pinch-hit walk and later scored on an error.

Neither starting pitcher was long for the game on Thursday afternoon, with Griffin needing 51 pitches (33 strikes) to get through just 1.2 innings, before leaving with the game tied, 5-5. He was charged with five runs on six hits, walked one, hit a batter and struck out two. Freshman right-hander Tanner Putnam (New Boston, N.H.) fired 3.1 shutout innings to pick up the win (1-0). He allowed two hits, walked one and struck out four along the way.

Things were not any better on the other side of the ledger for Stonehill sophomore right-hander Pat Shore (1-1), who had to throw 78 pitches (40 strikes) to get through just three innings. He surrendered seven runs (five earned) on eight hits, walked three, threw a wild pitch and struck out three.

The Ravens return to the field on Saturday, April 2, when they travel to American International for a Northeast-10 Conference doubleheader. First pitch is set for noon at Richard F. Bedard Field in Springfield, Mass.

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).