COLCHESTER, Vt. (May 4, 2016) – With a steal of second base in the top of the fifth inning of the second game of Wednesday's doubleheader, senior shortstop Justin Brock (Latham, N.Y.) stole his 46th base of the season, establishing a new program record for the No. 1/5 nationally ranked Franklin Pierce University baseball team. It was a parade around the bases for the rest of the Ravens at Doc Jacobs Field as well, as Franklin Pierce posted 8-0 and 15-1 victories, piling up 23 runs on 29 hits in a doubleheader sweep at Saint Michael's in Northeast-10 Conference, Northeast Division play.

With the wins, Franklin Pierce -- the newly-anointed top team in this week's NCAA East Region rankings -- improves to 43-4 (24-2 Northeast-10, 19-1 Northeast Division), has won 15 in a row and clinches its fifth straight Northeast Division title, as well as its second straight outright division crown. With two losses, Saint Michael's falls to 5-28 (4-17 Northeast-10, 4-16 Northeast Division). The two teams will meet against at Doc Jacobs Field on Thursday, for a single game at noon, to round out the season series.

Franklin Pierce will then open the postseason as the on Tuesday, May 10, when it hosts the first round of the Northeast-10 Championship at Pappas Field in Rindge. The opponent is still to be determined, but first pitch is tentatively scheduled for 6 p.m., as the Northeast Division's top seed will host its fourth seed. The first 150 Franklin Pierce students with ID will be admitted free of charge on Tuesday night. Ticket prices for Tuesday's first-round contest will be $6 for adults; $4 for seniors, students and children; and $1 for students with a valid ID from a Northeast-10 institution.

A win on Tuesday night would allow the Ravens to host the remainder of the Northeast-10 Championship, a doubleheader even scheduled for Thursday, May 12 through Saturday, May 14. Franklin Pierce is the defending Northeast-10 champion.

On Wednesday, the Ravens opened the scoring in the first inning with a trio of runs in the top of the second inning. Sophomore catcher Christopher Stanford (Quebec City, Quebec) started things with a one-out single to right field, moved to second on a single through the left side of the infield by junior second baseman Kyle Hood (Arlington, Mass.) and scored on an RBI single to left by senior center fielder Maxx Sheehan (San Jose, Calif.). After a wild pitch put runners at second and third, Brock cashed them both in with a two-run single the other way into right field.

Franklin Pierce tacked on a run in the top of the fifth to push the lead to 4-0. Junior designated hitter Chris LaVorgna (North Haven, Conn.) pulled a two-out single into left field, moved to second on a balk and scored on an RBI single into right-center by senior right fielder Max DiTondo (Marshfield, Mass.).

Another run in the top of the seventh made it a 5-0 game. Brock drove a one-out triple into the gap in left-center and scored on an RBI groundout on the right side of the infield by junior third baseman Jay Jabs (Schwenksville, Pa.).

Franklin Pierce collected three more runs, all unearned, in the top of the ninth, to create the 8-0 final. Hood singled, stole two bases and later scored while Brock reached on a dropped pop-up. Brock later scored as Jabs hit an RBI ground ball but reached on an error. Jabs later scored on a pinch-hit single back up the middle by sophomore John Friday (Southborough, Mass.).

Sophomore right-hander Anthony Matarazzo (Medford, Mass.) faced little trouble while throwing 110 pitches (71 strikes) over seven innings on the mound for the Ravens, as he allowed just two runners into scoring position, one of which reached on an error. In all, over seven shutout innings, he allowed five hits, walked one, balked once and struck out seven to pick up the win (10-0).

On the other side for Saint Michael's, senior right-hander Curt Echo (1-7) also threw 110 pitches (76 strikes), and logged 8.1 innings. He was ultimately charged with seven runs (five earned) on 10 hits, walked one, hit a batter, balked once and struck out just two while taking the loss.

The drama would come out of the second game early, as Franklin Pierce opened up a 6-0 lead over the first three innings, starting with two runs in the top of the first. Brock reached on an error with one out, stole second and scored on an RBI double to left center by LaVorgna. LaVorgna would score when DiTondo followed with an RBI double of his own, the other way down the left-field line.

The Ravens added three runs in the second to push the lead to 5-0. Senior left fielder Kurtis White (Nahant, Mass.) opened the inning with a bunt single, stole second and eventually scored on an RBI fielder's choice by Sheehan. Hood singled with one out and later scored on an error. Brock bounced into a fielder's choice, stole second again and scored on an RBI double pulled down the right-field line by Jabs.

Another run in the third made it a 6-0 game. DiTondo dumped a single into left-center leading off, stole second, moved to third on a single by White and scored on a sacrifice fly to left field by sophomore catcher Stephen Octave (New Windsor, N.Y.).

Franklin Pierce broke the game wide open with four runs in the top of the fifth to push the lead to 10-0. Senior first baseman Matthew O'Herron (Springfield, Mass.) bounced into a fielder's choice and later scored on a bases-loaded walk to Hood. White singled and eventually scored while Brock reached on an error, as did Stanford, who had walked prior to Hood. Hood ultimately scored on an error as well.

The Ravens picked up two runs in the sixth to make it 12-0 and three more in the seventh to stretch the lead as high as 15-0. In the sixth, DiTondo doubled and scored on a pinch-hit sacrifice fly by Stanford, while O'Herron singled and eventually scored on an RBI single by Brock. In the seventh, Octave had a pinch-hit RBI single, Hood drew another bases-loaded walk and sophomore Brad Roberto (San Diego, Calif.) drove in a run with a pinch-hit sacrifice fly.

Saint Michael's picked up its only run of the twinbill in the bottom of the ninth of the second game. Junior left fielder Steven Auger was hit by a pitch leading off and eventually came around to score on a sacrifice fly by junior right fielder Drew Salk.

Senior Tanner Bird (Adams, Mass.) made his first collegiate start on the mound for the Ravens and threw 68 pitches' (46 strikes) worth of shutout ball over the first six innings. He allowed just one hit, walked one and struck out five on the way to the win (8-0).

For Saint Michael's, freshman right-hander Christian Devine (0-4) took the ball and needed 95 pitches to get through 4.1 innings. He was touched up for 10 runs (five earned) on 12 hits, walked two and struck out three while taking the loss.

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).