EASTON, Mass. (April 22, 2022) -- Sophomore Jose Savinon (Brooklyn, N.Y.) yanked a two-run double down the left-field line and junior Jake Miller (Waltham, Mass.) followed with an RBI infield single in the top of the 11^th inning on Friday afternoon, as the Franklin Pierce University baseball team turned a 4-1 fifth-inning deficit into a 7-4 win over Stonehill in 11 innings at Lou Gorman Field. The Ravens had used two in the sixth and one in the eighth to force extra innings in the opener of the four-game Northeast-10 Conference weekend series.

With the win, Franklin Pierce improves to 20-9 (9-4 NE10) and has won 20 games for the 21^st straight season, excluding the COVID-shortened 2020 campaign. With the loss, Stonehill falls to 14-22 (3-10 NE10). The two teams will meet for a doubleheader at noon on Saturday and wrap up the series with a single game at 1 p.m. on Sunday at Lou Gorman Field.

Trailing 4-1 heading for the top of the sixth inning, the Ravens struck for a pair to set off on the comeback trail. Everything started with two outs, as sophomore Ryan Lavelle (East Longmeadow, Mass.) singled through the middle, stole second and came around to score while junior Joel Lara (Boston, Mass.) reached at second on an infield single plus a throwing error. Stonehill went to the bullpen, but sophomore Randy Flores (Brooklyn, N.Y.) greeted senior right-hander Luke Marshall with an RBI single to center to make it 4-3.

Franklin Pierce put runners at the corners with one out in the seventh, but came up empty, before scratching together the tying run in the eighth, courtesy of further sloppy defense from Stonehill. Lara singled with one out, stole second, moved to third on a flyout and then scored to level the game at 4-4, when junior Graham Smith (Wilmington, Mass.) bounced to third but reached on an error as sophomore Jack Marshall boxed the ball around.

Neither team threatened all too seriously in the ninth. Stonehill got the winning run to third with one out in the 10^th, but sophomore right-hander Hunter Reynolds (Marlborough, Mass.) left him there with a strikeout of sophomore Trey Chiulla-Hall and a groundout by Jack Marshall.

Franklin Pierce made the Skyhawks pay dearly for the missed opportunity, with a three-spot in the top of the 11^th. A walk and a hit batter set the stage for Savinon, who got a pitch to turn on and laced it down the left-field line for extra bases. Sophomore Ian Battipaglia (Cheshire, Conn.) scored from second and sophomore Hunter Wilichoski (Hamilton, Mass.) lumbered all the way around from first, as Savinon pulled into second with a two-run double. Savinon would move up on a groundout and then scored an insurance run when Miller reached on an infield single.

Things got dicey in the last of the 11^th, as Stonehill put two runners on with no outs and eventually loaded the bases with two outs, but after a mound visit, Reynolds was able to shut the door. He got senior Matt Farragher to hit one on the ground to third. Graduate student Charles Lebron (Brooklyn, N.Y.) picked it up and stepped on the bag for a force out to end the ballgame.

Sophomore right-hander Kyle Roche (Braintree, Mass.) battled through 6.2 innings on 108 pitches (69 strikes) on the mound for the Ravens. He allowed four runs (two earned) on five hits, walked three, hit a batter and struck out nine. Reynolds (1-0) chalked up the win as he threw scoreless ball in the 10^th and 11^th innings.

Meanwhile, Luke Marshall used 126 pitches (77 strikes) to get through 5.2 innings for Stonehill. He managed to allow only three runs (one earned) on five hits, despite issuing six walks, but also struck out seven. Junior left-hander Matt Tyman (2-3) did not allow a hit over two innings of relief, but walked two and hit another, and left the game with two runners on, ahead of the Savinon double, which left the first two runs of the 11^th inning charged to his record.