STONEHILL BASEBALL
Thursday, April 26, 2007
Gorman Field, Easton, Mass.
FINAL: FRANKLIN PIERCE 4, STONEHILL 3 (10 INNINGS)
123 456 789 10 R H E
Franklin Pierce (37-6, 22-2 NE-10) 000 000 300 1 - 4 9 0
Stonehill (15-22-1, 7-16-1 NE-10) 110 100 000 0 - 3 6 3
BATTERIES
FPC: Jeff Paulsen, Arric Mather (4), Tyler Bishop (10) and Jacob Ferreira
STO: Matt Giusti, Justin Perry (7), Mat Lindenmayer (10) and Matt Orr
WP: Mather (4-1) LP: Perry (2-2) Save: Bishop (7)
EASTON, Mass.-- Sophomore Scott Savastano's (Plymouth, N.H.) two-out RBI double in the top of the 10th inning plated the game-winner and lifted 15th-ranked Franklin Pierce to a 4-3 Northeast-10 Conference baseball victory over Stonehill Thursday afternoon at Gorman Field.
Savastano's extra inning heroics enabled the visiting Ravens (37-6, 22-2 Northeast-10) to extend their winning streak to eight straight, as Franklin Pierce plated three runs in the seventh after the host Skyhawks (15-22-1, 7-16-1 Northeast-10) had built a 3-0 edge in their first four at-bats. Junior Kevin Renaud (Southbridge, Mass.) led off the 10th with a double and advanced to third on a sacrifice, setting up Savastano's game-winning two-bagger, and junior Tyler Bishop (Milford, N.H.) retired the side in the bottom of the frame to earn his seventh save of the spring for the visitors.
Stonehill grabbed a 1-0 first inning lead on an RBI single off the bat of senior Adam Pardo (Hanover, Mass.), and the hosts extended their advantage to 2-0 in the second on an RBI single by junior Matt Orr (Wilton, Conn.). The Skyhawks plated another run in the fourth when sophomore Nate Weber (Hanson, Mass.) scored on a fielder's choice, as Stonehill had the bases loaded with one out but did no further damage in the inning. Franklin Pierce then evened matters with its three-run seven inning outburst, as an RBI single by senior Vinny Pennell (Spencer, Mass.) and a double-play groundout plated the first two Raven runs, while Renaud's two-out single scored Pennell to tie the game, setting up the decisive rally by the visitors in the 10th.
Pennell and Renaud each had three hits as part of a nine-hit attack in the win for Franklin Pierce, while Pardo and fellow senior Blake Marston (Concord, N.H.) each had two hits in the setback for Stonehill. Senior Arric Mather (Danville, N.H.) picked up his fourth victory in five decisions on the spring with six innings of two-hit shutout relief for the Ravens, while sophomore Justin Perry (Wilbraham, Mass.) suffered the setback on the mound for the Skyhawks, allowing a run in 3 2/3 innings of relief of sophomore Matt Giusti (Hopkinton, Mass.), who pitched six scoreless innings.
Stonehill travels to Manchester, N.H. for a Northeast-10 doubleheader with Saint Anselm on Saturday afternoon beginning at Noon, while Franklin Pierce heads to Lowell, Mass. on Saturday afternoon for a Northeast-10 twinbill with UMass Lowell that also begins at Noon.