HOOKSET, N.H. (4/27/23) – The Franklin Pierce baseball team struggled to muster any offense against No. 11 Southern New Hampshire University on Thursday afternoon, opening the four-game showdown against the Penmen with 13-0 and 12-0 losses in Northeast-10 Conference action at Penmen Field.  

The pair of setbacks drops Franklin Pierce to a 26-13 (13-5 NE10) overall mark this season. Southern New Hampshire, with the wins, improves to 35-8 (22-0 NE10) and officially clinches the Northeast-10 North Division. 

GAME #1
The first three runs of the game would belong to Southern New Hampshire in the bottom of the first inning. Nick Schwartz opened the scoring with a double to right-center field, plating two, which then led to Jake Pisano scoring shortly thereafter on a Franklin Pierce throwing error. The Penmen would then add another run in the second inning to make it 4-0, scoring a runner off a throw-out at first.

After going scoreless through the first three innings, Pierce would pose a threat in the top of the fourth as senior Joseph Pesce (Lake Mary, Fla.) led off with a base hit up the middle for the Ravens' first hit of the day. From there, he would eventually work his way around to third off a follow-up single from Max Gebauer (Guilderland, N.Y.) and Jake Miller (Waltham, Mass.), with Miller's coming via a fielder's choice. However, with there already being two outs in the inning, the Penmen would halt the scoring threat in the next at bat, and would also tack on another pair of runs in the bottom half of the frame to extend their lead to 6-0.

As the game carried on, the Ravens would only be able to connect for one more hit while leaving four runners on. Southern New Hampshire added another three runs between the sixth and seventh innings, before putting it completely out of reach in the eighth with another four to complete the 13-0 winning effort.

Peirce starter Kyle Roche (Braintree, Mass.) suffered his first loss of the season (7-1) after allowing six runs on three hits and five walks through four innings of work, fanning eight SNHU batters. Josh Roberge improved to 7-3 this season with the win for the Penmen, allowing three hits with equal amount of walks and five strikeouts.

GAME #2
After going 0-4 in game one, junior Ian Battipaglia (Cheshire, Conn.) started things off for the Ravens with a leadoff single in the top of the first of game two, recording just their third hit of the day. However, the next three Raven batters would be retired by Penman pitching, eliminating any early threat.  

Entering the bottom half of the opening frame, the Penmen picked it right back up offensively as junior Mike La Rocca followed an early walk with a two-run homer over to right field fence, giving SNHU the early 2-0 lead on his first long-ball of the season. After the next two at-bats yielded another walk and a base hit, the Penman would score another on a throwing error that would allow all runners to move up, making it 3-0 for the hosts.  

In the second inning, the Penman would put the Ravens on alert yet again with loaded bases and no outs. Following a pitching swap for the Ravens, Nick Schwartz would unload a grand slam to clear the bases, plunging the Ravens into an 8-0 hole. The inning would continue as two more SNHU batters would be hit by pitches, and eventually score on a Cristian Mercedes one-out double to further their lead to 10-0.

The Penman would add two more runs before the end the third inning, making it a 12-0 ball game.  

In the top of the fourth, the Ravens were able to get two runners on thanks to singles from Joseph Pesce and graduate Brian Hadden (Newburyport, Mass.), but could not find a way to drive them in. Julien Monks (Pacé, France) and Thomas Dillion (Sudbury, Mass.) would also each record hits in the top of the sixth inning, but once more to no avail.

The bats would go silent for the Ravens in the top of the seventh as Frankie Sanchez would toss the complete game for SNHU, keeping Pierce scoreless on five hits and one walk, striking out five.

Chaz Powell (Stamford, Conn.) got the start in game two of the Thursday twin-bill, and took the loss (4-3) after pitching 1.1 innings with six earned runs allowed on three hits, striking out one with four walks.

Pierce baseball wraps it up with the Penmen with another doubleheader scheduled for tomorrow afternoon (4/27) with start times of 1:00 and 4:00 p.m.