CARY, N.C. (March 4, 2022) -- The No. 24 nationally ranked Franklin Pierce University baseball team opened its annual trip to the USA Baseball National Training Complex by splitting a pair of non-conference games on Friday. In the first game of the day, three in the eighth proved painful, as the Ravens dropped a 5-3 decision to West Virginia State. Franklin Pierce bounced back from there though, as a 12-hit attack and 10 strikeouts from sophomore right-hander Kyle Roche (Braintree, Mass.) led the way in a matchup of nationally-ranked teams, and the Ravens bettered No. 22 West Chester, 9-5.

With the split, Franklin Pierce now stands at 5-2 on the young season. WVSU improved to 2-1 with the win, while West Chester fell to 6-1.

West Virginia State 5, Franklin Pierce 3

In the day's opener, the two teams traded runs right off the bat in the first inning. Playing as the visitors, WVSU opened the scoring in the top half, as senior Michael Stone led off with a single to right, went first-to-third on a single through the right side by his graduate student brother, Andrew Stone, and then scored on an RBI groundout by graduate student Matthew Kline. Franklin Pierce answered in the bottom half, when sophomore Ian Battipaglia (Cheshire, Conn.) took a leadoff walk, stole second, moved to third on a sacrifice bunt and scored on an RBI single back through the middle by graduate student Charles Lebron (Brooklyn, N.Y.).

The two sides traded runs again in the sixth. For the Yellow Jackets in the top half, freshman Nathan Paulsen knocked a two-out double down the left-field line and later came around to score when graduate student Andrew Sharp reached on an error. In the bottom half for the Ravens, junior Joel Lara (Boston, Mass.) walked with one out, stole second and scored on a double down the right-field line by junior Jake Miller (Waltham, Mass.).

WVSU took control with a three-spot in the top of the eighth. Sharp and Andrew Stone both had RBI singles, as seven Yellow Jackets came to the plate in the frame, while a third run scored on a passed ball as well.

Franklin Pierce got one back in the bottom of the eighth, but it would not be enough. Battipaglia singled to left leading off, went first-to-third on a single by Lebron and scored on a sacrifice fly to center by Miller.

Graduate student left-hander Patrick Hannon (Willington, Conn.) took the ball for the Ravens and did not factor in the decision after logging seven innings on the mound. He allowed two runs (one earned) on eight hits, walked two and struck out nine. Senior right-hander Jake Ursillo (North Haledon, N.J.) took over to start the eighth and suffered the loss (0-1) after a brief and ineffective outing. He faced three batters, retired none of them, and was ultimately charged with two runs on three hits.

On the other side of the ledger, freshman Quincy Thornton threw the first three innings and did not factor in the decision, as he allowed one run on two hits, walked two and struck out two. Junior Nick Loftis (1-1) threw the final six innings to pick up the win, surrendered two runs on six hits, walked one and struck out four.

Franklin Pierce 9, West Chester 5

In the second game of the day, West Chester opened up a 2-0 lead with single runs in the top of the second and third. Franklin Pierce answered with one in the last of the fifth, and the game went to its latter stages with the Golden Rams holding a 2-1 lead.

The Ravens turned the tables, with some gusto, in the bottom of the sixth, however. Franklin Pierce sent 11 men to bat and brought seven of them all the way around to score, on seven hits. Lebron and sophomore Ryan Lavelle (East Longmeadow, Mass.) had the biggest blows of the frame, as the former opened the inning's scoring with a two-run single, and the latter provided the exclamation mark, in the form of a two-run, two-out triple. In between, Miller, junior Joseph Pesce (Lake Mary, Fla.) and sophomore Jose Savinon (Brooklyn, N.Y.) all had RBI singles.

The two teams traded runs in the seventh, and then West Chester picked up two more in the top of the ninth to create the 9-5 final.

Roche tossed the first 5.2 innings, but was stuck with a no-decision after he could not quite finish the sixth. He allowed two runs on five hits, walked three, hit three batters and struck out 10. Ursillo (1-1) had a nice bounce-back performance, as he went the next 2.1 innings out of the pen to pick up the win. He allowed one run on three hits, hit one batter and struck out one.

For the Golden Rams, graduate student left-hander Braeden Fausnaught tossed the first five, but also did not factor in the decision, as he allowed one run on four hits, walked three, hit a batter and struck out nine. Sophomore left-hander Andrew Cantwell (0-1) took over to start the sixth and was roughed up. He faced six batters, but retired just one, and allowed five runs on four hits and a walk.

The Ravens have two games on the docket on Saturday in Cary, as they will square off with Frostburg State at 11 a.m. and East Region foe St. Thomas Aquinas at 2:30 p.m.