HOOKSET, N.H. (4/28/23) – After being shutout in back-to-back games on Thursday, the Franklin Pierce baseball team got some revenge and earned a split against Northeast-10 Conference opponent No. 11 Southern New Hampshire University on Friday afternoon at Penmen Field. The Ravens opened with an 4-3 triumph and suffered a 13-11 setback in the closing contest.

After the breakeven day, the Ravens move to 27-14 (14-6 NE10) on the year, while the Penmen move to 36-9 (23-1 NE10). With their afternoon opening win, the Ravens also handed SNHU their first conference setback of the season.

GAME #1

The action started early for the Ravens with Ian Battipaglia (Cheshire, Conn.) leading off the top of the first inning with a base hit. Then, with one out in the inning, graduate Brian Hadden (Newburyport, Mass.) launched his first homer of the season over the left-center field fence, giving the Ravens the first lead of the series.  

The Ravens would stretch their lead out to 3-0 in the top of the second inning after junior Julien Monks (Pace, France) led off the frame with a double, only to then be moved over to third on a Jake Miller (Waltham, Mass.) sacrifice bunt. With two outs in the inning, the RBI would belong to freshman Thomas Dillion (Sudbury, Mass.), which would be the first of his collegiate career, on an infield single that scored Monks from third.  However, the Penman would chalk one up in the bottom half of the inning, as consecutive hits to lead off the frame from Nick Schwartz and Cam Caraher set the stage for freshman Dyrenson Wouters, who plated the front runner on a fielder's choice.  

In the top of the third, the Ravens continued to add to their lead as senior Joel Lara (Boston, Mass.) led off the inning with his second home run of the season, giving Pierce some insurance at 4-1. Even with the newly established three-run lead, the Penmen would continue to pester the Ravens in the bottom of the fourth, scoring another run on their own solo homer from Jake Risedorf.

Neither team would score again until the bottom of the sixth, when Nick Schwartz brought the Penmen back to within one on another solo shot, this time to left field. SNHU would fail to get another one past the Ravens, who's defense would prevail in the end with the 4-3 triumph.

Junior right-hander Hunter Reynolds (Marlborough, Mass.) got the nod on the mound as the Raven starter, and earned the victory (6-3) following five innings of work with three runs allowed on six hits and one walk, fanning four in the process. Drew DeLucia (Medway, Mass.) relieved Reynolds and was tasked with the six-out save, which he accomplished with no hits allowed through two scoreless innings of work, notching a pair of strikeouts.

GAME #2

The Penmen opened the floodgates early in the bottom of the first inning, as a trio of home runs from Danniel Rivera, Mike LaRocca, and Nick Schwartz helped them take a commanding 4-0 lead over the Ravens.

The Ravens would begin their campaign of clawing back into the action in the top of the third inning. The rally started with a two-out single from Thomas Dillon, which was then shadowed by an Ian Battipaglia walked, pushing Dillon to second. With the two runners on, Joel Lara ripped a purposeful RBI single down the left field line, bringing home Dillon and advancing Battipaglia one base to keep the threat alive. Shortly thereafter, the Ravens would load bases to bring up senior Joe Pesce (Lake Mary, Fla.), who took full advantage by lacing a bases-clearing single to right field to tie the game 4-all.

However, the quick response trend still applied in game two, with the Penmen answered right back in the bottom of the third, taking back the lead with two outs on a Jake Risedorf RBI double to right-center field.

The two teams traded scoring chances over the next two innings of play, but would remain off the board as both defenses came through. Then, the Ravens started things off in the sixth inning on a high note, as Julien Monks began with a single to right-center field. Jake Miller followed that up with another base hit to the gap in right-center, advancing Monks to second with Eli Battipaglia (Cheshire, Conn.) stepping up to the plate. Battipaglia then singled through the left side to score Monks, tying the game at 5-5. After a pitching swap for the Penmen, freshman Thomas Dillon would take a walk to load the bases back up for Pierce, which would ultimately score another run for the Ravens by the same circumstances. Joel Lara continued the rally with an RBI single to left field, scoring both Dillon and Battipaglia to return the Ravens to the lead, 7-5. Brian Hadden, Joe Pesce and Max Gebauer would all add RBI before the end of the inning on a sacrifice fly to take an 11-5 lead.

After an explosive top of the sixth inning, the Ravens could not keep Penmen off the scoreboard in the bottom half. Sean Foody allowed an RBI double to left center to Mike LaRocca then was taken out for Hunter Wilichoski (Hamilton, Mass.). Nick Schwartz then walked and advanced to second on a wild pitch, pushing the lead runner to third in the process. Cam Caraher then broke the inning open after going yard with a three-run homer to deep center field, making it 11-8 Ravens. When all was said and done, the Penmen managed to pull right back into the running, trailing 11-10 heading into the home stretch.

The Raven bats would go quiet in the top of the 7^th inning, being held scoreless, but the SNHU momentum would remain in full swing. With a runner on third, a sacrifice fly-out to center by Nick Schwartz would plate the equalizer for the Penmen, deadlocking the score at 11-11. Then, after holding the Ravens scoreless once again in the eighth inning, the Penmen took the lead 12-11 on an RBI double to center field by Anderson Moreno. Mike LaRocca followed that up with an RBI double down the left field line, delivering what would prove to be the game winner with a 13-11 lead.

Despite singles from both Ian and Eli Battipaglia, the Ravens couldn't muster up any type of late inning rally to once more draw even with the Penmen.  

Stephen Bangs (Stoughton, Mass.) suffered the loss on the mound for the Ravens (0-1), pitching 1.2 innings with two earned runs allowed on four hits, walking one batter with two strikeouts. In the effort, the Ravens would nearly cycle through their entire bullpen, utilizing seven different pitchers in the effort.

The Ravens return home for their final regular season series at Pappas Field with four games  against American International College, with first pitch for game one scheduled for Friday (5/5) at 3 p.m.