#13 Franklin Pierce Tops Stonehill, 10-0

Pitching

Win: Brian Maloney (7-1)
Loss: Alex McCormick (3-3)

Batting

Stonehill
2B: Michael White
3B: none
HR: none
Franklin Pierce University
2B: Dan Hennigan; Nick Lacroix
3B: none
HR: none
full stats

Senior Nick Nardacci collected a pair of hits to lead the Skyhawks on Sunday. (PHOTO BY Richard Orr) 

Maloney fires eight scoreless, while Hennigan keys offense for Ravens

RINDGE, N.H. (April 17, 2011) – Franklin Pierce University, ranked 13th in this week's Collegiate Baseball magazine Division II coaches poll and 19th in the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) poll, claimed a 10-0 victory over Stonehill College, among teams receiving votes in the NCBWA Division II poll in Northeast-10 Conference baseball action at Dr. Arthur and Martha Pappas Field this afternoon.

Senior lefthander Brian Maloney (Brockton, Mass./Brockton) tossed eight scoreless innings, scattering five hits with nine strikeouts and a walk to earn the win (7-1) on the mound for Franklin Pierce. Freshman righthander Ryan Leach (Farmingdale, Maine/Hall-Dale) closed out the shutout with a hitless ninth, striking out one.

Junior Dan Hennigan (Downingtown, Pa./Downingtown West) led the Franklin Pierce offense as he hit 3-for-5 with a double and three RBI. Senior Derek Ingui (Sterling, Mass./Wachusett Regional) was 3-for-4 with a stolen base and three runs scored, while sophomore Nick LaCroix (Grafton, Mass./Grafton) batted 2-for-2 with a pair of walks, a double, two runs scored and two RBI. Senior Mike Munoz (Bronx, N.Y./Lehman) finished 2-for-5 with an RBI and run scored. Freshman Ross Lincoln (Woodstock, Conn./Woodstock Academy) chipped in with two RBI.

Junior Michael White (Lisbon, N.H./Lisbon Regional) led the way for Stonehill as he hit safely for the 23rd game over the Skyhawks last 24, finishing 1-for-4 with a double. Senior Nick Nardacci (Bethlehem, N.Y./Bethlehem Central) went 2-for-4, while sophomore Michael Zeiner (Simsbury, Conn./Simsbury) hit 1-for-3.

Senior Alex McCormick (Weymouth, Mass./Cardinal Spellman) took the loss (3-3) on the mound for Stonehill, allowing six runs, just two earned, on eight hits with two strikeouts and three walks over six innings.

Franklin Pierce, who put the leadoff hitter on base in each of the first seven innings, opened the scoring with a three run second inning. Ingui led off with a single, stole second, and scored on a sacrifice fly to rightfield by Lincoln on what should have been the third out of the inning. Hennigan followed two batters later with a two-run single down the rightfield line.

Franklin Pierce added two more runs in the fifth on a sacrifice fly to center by freshman Zach Mathieu (Derry, N.H./Pinkerton Academy) and an RBI double from LaCroix. The Ravens scored a single run in the sixth on an RBI single by Munoz, and then broke the game open with a four-run seventh. LaCroix and Lincoln had RBI singles, while Hennigan delivered an RBI double and a run scored on another sacrifice fly.

Stonehill (25-10, 10-5 NE-10) returns to action on Tuesday when it visits the University of Massachusetts Lowell for an NE-10 matchup at 7 p.m. The Skyhawks host Franklin Pierce (29-7, 15-3 NE-10) on Wednesday at 3:30 p.m.