RINDGE, N.H. (4/12/2023) - The Franklin Pierce University baseball team faced-off against their Granite State rival Saint Anselm College on Wednesday evening and were victorious over the Hawks, 10-2 to claim their third straight win. 

With the win, Pierce baseball improves to 20-9 (7-1 NE10) overall, while the Hawks drop to 7-23 (3-5 NE10) on the campaign with the loss. It is the third consecutive 20-win season for the Ravens.

The Ravens took care of the business with one out in the bottom of the first when senior Jake Miller (Waltham, Mass.) drove in the game's first pair of runs on a single to left-center, scoring fellow senior Joel Lara (Boston, Mass.) and junior Ian Battipaglia (Cheshire, Conn.) to make it 2-0 Franklin Pierce. Later on in the inning, freshman Adam Dadinos (East Hartford, Conn.) dealt more damage after connecting for a three-run home run to right field, making it 5-0 for the Ravens. The Dadinos homer was the also the first of his collegiate career. 

The Hawks eventually got on the board in the top of the fourth inning when senior Mike Borrelli belted a solo home run to deep, right-center field for his fifth bomb of the season. However, The Ravens wasted no time in formulating a response, and secured another pair of runs in the bottom half of the fourth. To keep the trend alive, Ian Battipaglia belted a two-run home run over the fence in right field for his second of the season, boosting the Raven lead to 7-1.

However, Battipaglia would not be satisfied with the lone homer, and would lead-off the bottom of the sixth with a solo-shot to right field for his second long ball of the contest. The Hawks picked up another run in the top of the seventh when Ben Rose singled to left center field, bringing home Zach Clough to make the score 8-2. However, the balanced Raven offense responded with two more runs of their own in the bottom of the seventh, when junior Connor Smalley (West Sayville, N.Y.) grounded a one-bagger to left field, bringing home senior Max Gebauer (Guilderland, N.Y.).

On the next play, Battipaglia doubled to left center field, scoring Julien Monks (Cambridge, Mass.) to give the Ravens a 10-2 lead. Battipaglia would finish the day with a game-best four RBI.  

Despite the high-octane offense being displayed for the Ravens, the pitching got the job done defensively. Freshman right-hander Drew DeLucia (Medway, Mass.) picked up his first collegiate win in the effort (1-2), where he tossed 6.2 innings of work, giving up two runs on six hits and one walk with a career-high 13 strikeouts. In relief, Tommy Sullivan (Plymouth, Mass.) where pitched 1.1 innings and allowed no hits, no runs, and struck out two batters. Hunter Wilichoski (Hamilton, Mass.) closed out the final inning, striking out three while also holding the opponent to no runs scored on no hits.

Franklin Pierce baseball will now make their way out to Sullivan Field in Manchester, N.H. for a full-weekend series with Saint Anselm College, beginning this Friday, April 14^th at 3:00 p.m.