UNIONDALE, N.Y. (May 21, 2022) – Twice on Saturday, the Franklin Pierce University baseball team trailed by a pair of runs. Twice, the sixth-seeded Ravens rallied with two-run home runs, before using a five-run eighth to seize control of an elimination game at the NCAA Championship East Regional for good. Graduate student Charles Lebron (Brooklyn, N.Y.) and junior Joel Lara (Boston, Mass.) both went yard, and senior Jake Ursillo (North Haledon, N.J.) closed the door again, as Franklin Pierce extended its season and advanced to the final round of the Molloy sub-regional site with an 11-4 win over seventh-seeded Le Moyne at Mitchel Athletic Complex.

With the win, Franklin Pierce improves to 30-16, and advances to play host and second-seeded Molloy at 3 p.m. on Saturday. The Ravens will have to defeat the Lions twice, once on Saturday and then again on Sunday at noon, to advance to next week's Super Regional. Franklin Pierce has reached the 30-win plateau for the 18^th time in program history, and the first time since 2018.

With the loss, Le Moyne sees its season, and its 15^th NCAA Championship appearance, draw to a close at 27-25.

Already having rallied from a two-run deficit in the last of the sixth, the Ravens immediately ceded the lead back to Le Moyne, which plated a pair in the top of the seventh. A leadoff single and a hit batsman spelled the end of the day for sophomore right-hander Chaz Powell (Stamford, Conn.), who gave way to Ursillo, who then hit another batter to load the bases. Senior Nick Nevins made the free baserunners hurt, as he popped a two-run single into left field to put the Dolphins out front, 4-2.

Franklin Pierce rallied behind Ursillo though, with a four-spot in the last of the seventh. After sophomore Ryan Lavelle (East Longmeadow, N.Y.) legged out an infield single leading off, Lara went deep to straightaway left, for his fifth home run of the season, to tie the game again. The Ravens kept things going from there, as a ground-rule double by sophomore Randy Flores (Brooklyn, N.Y.), a single by junior Graham Smith (Wilmington, Mass.) and an error loaded the bases with nobody out for Lebron. Lebron bounced into a fielder's choice as Flores was cut down at the plate, but then a wild pitch scored the lead run. Three batters later, junior Max Gebauer (Guilderland, N.Y.) was hit by a pitch to force home the fourth run of the frame.

Ursillo retired the side in order in the top of the eighth, and then the offense took care of business in the bottom half, with five more runs. Sophomore Ian Battipaglia (Cheshire, Conn.) had the inning's biggest blow, with a two-run single to center field, while sophomore Hunter Wilichoski (Hamilton, Mass.) and Gebauer both had run-scoring singles in the frame as well, and another run scored on a throwing error.

Powell battled through six-plus innings on 100 pitches (68 strikes) on the hill for the Ravens. He allowed four runs on eight hits, walked two, hit a pair and struck out five while keeping Franklin Pierce close enough to rally and extend the season. Ursillo (6-3) allowed a pair of inherited runners to score, but then shut things down from there, as he threw three scoreless innings, allowed three hits, hit a batter and struck out one in his second three-inning outing in three days.

Graduate student right-hander Joe Vail took the ball for Le Moyne and logged 5.1 innings on 71 pitches (49 strikes). He was charged with two runs on six hits, did not issue a walk and struck out six. Sophomore Matt Tarby (3-5) faced seven batters, but recorded only two outs, as he was stung for four runs (three earned) on five hits, including the Lara home run, and suffered the loss.