RINDGE, N.H. (April 25, 2021) -- Through eight-and-a-half innings in Sunday's second game, it looked like the Franklin Pierce University baseball team was headed for another doubleheader split with Stonehill at Pappas Field. The Ravens refused to go away though, as graduate student Tyler Patane (Lake Grove, N.Y.) capped a three-run ninth-inning rally with a walk-off single deep into the gap in left-center, to give Franklin Pierce a 7-6 win and send his teammates storming out of the third-base dugout. Earlier in the day, senior catcher Dylan Jones (Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.) went 3-for-4 with a home run, as the Ravens posted a 7-1 victory in the first game.

With the Northeast-10 Conference wins, Franklin Pierce improves to 12-4 (9-3 NE10), while Stonehill falls to 11-12 (6-10 NE10). Combined with Saturday's split, Franklin Pierce took three of four from the Skyhawks in the weekend series.

Game 1: Franklin Pierce 7, Stonehill 1

Stonehill opened the day's scoring with a run in the top of the second, though it would be the Skyhawks' only run of the game. Freshman Graham Herrick poked a one-out single inside the bag at third and later came all the way around to score on a two-out double over the head of the left fielder by freshman Trey Ciulla-Hall.

It was the middle innings of the seven-inning affair where the Ravens did their damage, as they plated three in the third, one in the fourth and three more in the fifth to take control of the game. In the third, back-to-back singles from juniors Joel Lara (Boston, Mass.) and Randy Flores (Brooklyn, N.Y.) set the table, and then things got weird. Sophomore Ian Battipaglia (Cheshire, Conn.) laid down a sacrifice bunt, but wound up on second base as the Stonehill starting pitcher, junior right-hander Matt Smith, threw the ball away, which allowed Lara to score. After a walk loaded the bases, senior Jonel Ozuna (New York, N.Y.) picked up a rare two-RBI fielder's choice, as Flores scored and Battipaglia hustled around from second to do the same, while the Stonehill middle infield took its time attempting, but failing, to turn a double play.

In the fourth, Flores walked, stole second and later scored on a wild pitch. In the fifth, Jones led off with his second home run of the weekend, this one a solo shot of an estimated 365 feet, into the parking lot in left field. Later in the inning, both junior Graham Smith (Wilmington, Mass.) and Lara used bunts to drive home runs on safety squeezes, the former with a sacrifice and the latter with a bunt single.

Graduate student right-hander Derek Duffy (Farmington, Conn.) threw 78 pitches (53 strikes) over the first five innings on the mound. He allowed one run on five hits, did not issue a walk and struck out three to pick up the win (2-0).

On the other side, Smith (1-2) was treated rudely over four innings and 81 pitches (50 strikes). He was ultimately tagged for six runs (five earned) on seven hits, walked three, hit a batter and struck out four.

Game 2: Franklin Pierce 7, Stonehill 6

Fittingly on the night of the Academy Awards, the second game proved to be high drama. Down a pair headed for the last of the ninth, the Ravens put on their comeback pants.

The frame started ominously, as graduate student James Boria (Massapequa, N.Y.) led off with a walk, but was immediately erased when junior Jake Miller (Waltham, Mass.) bounced into a double play. The Ravens then went to work with two outs. Sophomore Jose Savinon (Brooklyn, N.Y.) reached on an infield single. Lara lashed a single to left. Flores took a walk to load the bases, which sent Stonehill head coach Patrick Boen out to the mound for a call to the bullpen, as he brought freshman left-hander Tom Connor into the jam.

Battipaglia wasted no time issuing Connor a blown save, as he went the other way and lined a single to right, which scored both Savinon and Lara to tie the game. Patane followed and went the other way as well for the game's final blow. His drive deep into the gap in left-center took one hop over the fence for a would-be ground-rule double, but his teammates had other ideas. The Ravens' dugout chased Patane out into right field after he touched first base, leaving the third baseman with a walk-off RBI single.

Earlier in the day, the teams traded runs early, and Franklin Pierce held a 4-3 lead through five. Stonehill surged out front, 6-4, with two in the seventh, both on a double by senior John Orzechowski, and one in the eighth, on an RBI single by sophomore Mike Swanholm. Orzechowski went 4-for-5 with two doubles, his second home run of the season, two runs scored and three RBIs in the loss for the Skyhawks.

The late dramatics made a winner out of sophomore Hunter Reynolds (Marlborough, Mass.), who finished off the eighth and threw the ninth for the Ravens. Over 1.2 scoreless innings, he allowed one hit and struck out four of the six batters he faced. Earlier, junior right-hander Danny Gracia (Wilmington, Mass.) had thrown 82 pitches (54 strikes) over the first 6.1 innings in his first appearance in nearly a month. He surrendered five runs on six hits, walked two (one intentional), hit a batter and struck out six.

Stonehill was left to try to get 23 outs from its bullpen after sophomore right-hander Edward Beauregard Jr. left with an injury after just 1.1 innings. Sophomore left-hander Matt Tyman (1-2) came on in the fifth and was eventually saddled with the loss, as he threw 4.2 innings, but could not record the final out. He allowed three runs on four hits, walked three and struck out three.

The Ravens are scheduled to return to action on Wednesday, April 28, when they host Saint Michael's in a 3 p.m. doubleheader.