PLEASANTVILLE, N.Y. (March 25, 2018) – Over the course of a doubleheader on Sunday afternoon, the pitching staff of the Franklin Pierce University baseball team allowed just two runs on 10 hits, to lead the way in a doubleheader sweep at Pace. The Ravens took the first game at Finnerty Field, 4-0, before edging the Setters, 3-2, to cap the Northeast-10 Conference twinbill. Junior right-hander Zach Hart (Wallingford, Conn.) went the distance in a five-hit shutout in the first game, while senior right-hander Ryan Covelle (Medford, Mass.) followed and went eight innings without allowing an earned run in the second game.

With the wins, Franklin Pierce improves to 13-7-1 (3-1 NE10), while Pace falls to 7-6-1 (2-2 NE10).

Hart (2-1) was the story of the first game, as he authored the first complete game of his collegiate career. He went the distance on just 104 pitches (72 strikes) to shutout the Setters. Hart allowed five hits, issued one walk and piled up a career-best 10 strikeouts.

After five scoreless innings to open the game, the Ravens got Hart the only run he would need in the top of the sixth. Senior third baseman John Friday (Southborough, Mass.) singled to left leading off, moved around to third on an error and scored on a sacrifice fly to left by graduate student first baseman Mike Coggeshall (Shrewsbury, Mass.).

Franklin Pierce tacked on three runs in the top of the eighth to create the 4-0 final. Friday again started things with a leadoff single, this time to center, and later went first-to-third on a single to right by senior right fielder Adam Chase (Bridgewater, Mass.). Sophomore second baseman J.R. DiSarcina (Barnstable, Mass.) cashed in Friday with an RBI single to center, before sophomore designated hitter Jonathan Gonzalez (Worcester, Mass.) provided the inning's key hit. He went the other way with the second pitch and knocked a two-run double to left field to cap the scoring.

For Pace, freshman left-hander Thomas Ippolito (1-1) started on the mound and threw 90 pitches (62 strikes) over the first 5.2 innings. He allowed one run on six hits, walked one, hit a batter, struck out four and suffered the loss.

In the second game, Franklin Pierce opened up a 1-0 lead in the top of the fourth. Coggeshall pulled a ground-rule double to right field leading off, moved to third on a single to left by Octave and scored when DiSarcina lofted a sacrifice fly to left field.

Pace answered immediately, with an unearned run in the home half of the fourth. Junior catcher Michael Barbato was hit by a pitch with two outs and moved to second on an errant pickoff throw. He would score from there, as graduate student right fielder Ryan Crowley followed with an RBI double to left-center field.

The Ravens took the lead for good with a pair of unearned runs in the top of the sixth inning. Everything started with two outs, as senior designated hitter Tim Going (Islip, N.Y.) was hit by a pitch, before sophomore center fielder Jack Duffy (Farmington, Conn.) reached on an error, which extended the inning for junior left fielder Brad Roberto (San Diego, Calif.) at the top of the order. Roberto made the miscue hurt, as he pulled a two-run double to left field to make it 3-1.

Eventually, junior Anthony Matarazzo (Medford, Mass.) came on for the ninth, but ran into trouble before notching his third save of the season. He issued a leadoff walk to Barbato, and Crowley followed with a single to center to put the tying run on first with nobody out. Pace instructed sophomore designated hitter Andrew Fitzgerald to give himself up with a sacrifice bunt to move the runners up, but an error by Coggeshall at first left everybody safe and loaded the bases with nobody out.

Junior Alex Pia came to the plate as a pinch-hitter for what turned out to be the game's pivotal at-bat. Matarazzo got a ground ball, and the defense turned a 4-6-3 double play, which allowed a run to score, but provided two integral outs. Another pinch hitter followed, for the Setters' nine-spot hitter, but Matarazzo struck out sophomore Brian Bohlander to end the game and strand the tying run at third.

Covelle (3-2) used 96 pitches (65 strikes) to get through eight innings on the mound and pick up the win for the Ravens. He allowed just the lone unearned run on four hits, hit four batters and struck out six.

Junior left-hander Alex Busby took the ball, threw 77 pitches (44 strikes) over the first five innings and did not factor in the decision. He surrendered one run on four hits, walked two, hit two batters and struck out three. Sophomore right-hander Joe Pizzingrillo (0-1) came on for the ill-fated sixth inning and was betrayed by his defense. In one inning of work, he allowed a pair of unearned runs on two hits and hit a batter to suffer the loss.

The Ravens return to the field on Wednesday, March 28, when they return home to open the Northeast Division portion of their Northeast-10 Conference contest, with a matchup against in-state foe Southern New Hampshire. First pitch is set for 3:30 p.m. at Pappas Field in Rindge.

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).