ALBANY, N.Y. (April 27, 2022) -- Things were ugly off the start on Wednesday, as the Franklin Pierce University baseball team surrendered seven runs in the first inning of a doubleheader at Saint Rose. The host Golden Knights would go on to a 9-4 victory in the first game at Bob Bellizzi Field, but then the Ravens came storming back in the second game. A seven-run inning of their own in the fifth keyed a 19-6 Franklin Pierce victory to force the split of the non-conference twinbill.

With the split, Franklin Pierce stands at 23-11 heading into a key weekend series against Southern New Hampshire. The Ravens will host the Penmen at 6 p.m. on Friday, at 4 p.m. for a Saturday doubleheader, and again at 2 p.m. on Sunday. Meanwhile, Saint Rose sees its record move to 17-21.

Game 1: Saint Rose 9, Franklin Pierce 4

The first game was a seven-inning affair, and Saint Rose took most of the drama out of it immediately, with seven runs in the home half of the first. The first four batters of the inning all recorded hits, including RBI singles from senior Remington Almarante and sophomore Josh Myers. Another run scored on an error, freshman Niko Mokanos drove an RBI double to center and sophomore James Dolan knocked an RBI single to center, before sophomore Jelani Hamer capped the inning with a two-run triple. In all, it was seven runs on seven hits and an error for Saint Rose in the first.

Franklin Pierce picked up two in the third, but also left two runners on, and Saint Rose later responded with two in the fifth. Graduate student Charles Lebron (Brooklyn, N.Y.) and sophomore Ian Battipaglia (Cheshire, Conn.) hit solo home runs in the sixth and seventh, respectively, to create the 9-4 final. For Lebron, it was his fifth long ball of the year, while Battipaglia socked his sixth.

Sophomore right-hander Andres Auffant (Center Moriches, N.Y.) took the ball, but could not get out of the first inning on the mound for the Ravens. He faced six batters, recorded just one out, was ultimately charged with five runs (three earned) on five hits and suffered the loss (1-3).

On the other side, freshman right-hander Ian McCasland (1-0) threw 74 pitches (44 strikes) over six largely worry-free innings after being spotted the big lead. He allowed three runs (two earned) on seven hits, walked one and struck out two.

Game 2: Franklin Pierce 19, Saint Rose 6

The Ravens took out some of their frustrations from the first game via a 19-run, 16-hit barrage in the second game. Already out in front 4-1, Franklin Pierce blew the doors off the game with seven runs in the top of the fifth. Junior Graham Smith (Wilmington, Mass.) had the inning's biggest blow with a two-run single to center field. Sophomores Jose Savinon (Brooklyn, N.Y.) and Randy Flores (Brooklyn, N.Y.) both provided RBI singles to right field, while junior Joel Lara (Boston, Mass.) delivered a run-scoring double to left. Lara had also scored the first run of the inning after he stole third and then took home on an errant throw from the catcher.

Saint Rose chipped away with three in the bottom half of the fifth, but the Ravens kept their foot on the accelerator with five more in the sixth. Sophomore Ryan Lavelle (East Longmeadow, Mass.) cashed in an RBI single to left, before Smith and Flores went to work again. The former went the other way for a two-run triple to right, before the latter launched a two-run homer to right, his fourth of the season.

It was pitcher-by-committee on both sides in the second game. Senior right-hander Jake Ursillo (North Haledon, N.J.) delivered three scoreless innings with five strikeouts to get things started for Franklin Pierce. Six pitchers would combine to record 12 strikeouts for the Ravens.

On the other side, freshman Vince Venditti (0-1) threw the first two innings as the first of seven Saint Rose pitchers. Venditti surrendered one run on one hit, but as a group, the Golden Knights ceded 19 runs on 16 hits, walked seven, hit five batters and struck out seven.