RINDGE, N.H. (May 3, 2016) – With four games in three days looming, senior right-hander Paul Covelle (Medford, Mass.) did the bullpen of the No. 1/5 nationally ranked Franklin Pierce University baseball team a favor on Tuesday afternoon, as he carved up Saint Anselm at Sullivan Park, striking out 16 en route to a 5-1 Northeast-10 Conference, Northeast Division victory. Junior third baseman Jay Jabs (Schwenksville, Pa.) hit his 30th career home run in the ninth inning, tying the program record.

With the win, Franklin Pierce improves to 41-4 (22-2 Northeast-10, 17-1 Northeast Division), has won 13 in a row and sweeps the three-game season series from the Hawks, while Saint Anselm falls to 8-35 (3-23 Northeast-10, 3-18 Northeast Division). The Ravens head into their final regular-season series at Saint Michael's needing just one win in three games to clinch a share of the Northeast Division title. The Ravens will travel to take on the Purple Knights in a doubleheader at noon on Wednesday, followed by a single game at noon on Thursday, with all three games taking place at Doc Jacobs Field in Colchester, Vt.

Covelle (8-1) needed 113 pitches (80 strikes) to throw his second consecutive three-hit, one-run complete game. He faced just 29 batters -- only two over the minimum -- and allowed only one runner past first base, a solo home run which accounted for the only run he surrendered. Covelle rolled up two double-play balls along the way and retired 12 of the 13 batters he faced over the final four innings. He walked just one to go with the three hits and piled up a career-best 16 strikeouts along the way.

Meanwhile, the Franklin Pierce offense got on the board for Covelle with a run in the top of the second inning. Senior left fielder Kurtis White (Nahant, Mass.) dropped down a bunt single with two outs and wound up on third on the play, thanks to a throwing error by the Saint Anselm starting pitcher, freshman right-hander Jonathan Dunn. White would score from there when junior second baseman Kyle Hood (Arlington, Mass.) pulled an RBI double down the left-field line.

Franklin Pierce tacked on single runs in the top of the fifth, sixth and seventh innings to open the lead as wide as 4-0. In the fifth, senior shortstop Justin Brock (Latham, N.Y.) singled through the left side of the infield leading off, stole second and scored on an RBI single through the right side by Jabs. In the sixth, senior first baseman Matthew O'Herron (Springfield, Mass.) singled to center leading off and would up on third as White laid down a sacrifice, but Dunn committed another throwing error. O'Herron then scored from third on an RBI single through the left side by sophomore catcher Christopher Stanford (Quebec City, Quebec). In the seventh, Jabs was hit by a pitch with one out and scored from first when senior right fielder Max DiTondo (Marshfield, Mass.) knocked a run-scoring triple down the right-field line.

Saint Anselm got on the board with a run in the bottom of the eighth inning to make it a 4-1 game. Leading off the inning, junior right fielder Jon McQuarrie took the third pitch of the inning over the fence in left field for his second home run of the season, a solo shot.

Jabs answered for the Ravens in the top of the ninth, as he clubbed a two-out solo homer to right field, his team-leading 12th of the season. It was the 30th home run of his career, matching him with Derek Ingui and Mal Higgins for the program record.

For Saint Anselm, Dunn (1-2) threw 81 pitches (49 strikes) over the first six innings on the mound. He allowed three runs (one earned) on eight hits, walked three, hit two batters and struck out two.

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).