Ravens collect 24 hits, Mathieu and Peguero drive in 12 runs combined

Sophomore second baseman Dan Fratus collected his NE-10 leading eighth triple in the loss for Stonehill.

EASTON, Mass. (April 20, 2012) – Stonehill College, ranked fourth overall in the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) East Regional Poll, dropped a 27-11 decision to Franklin Pierce University, ranked third overall in the NCBWA East Regional Poll, in Northeast-10 Conference (NE-10) Northeast Division action on Friday evening at Lou Gorman Field.

Freshman Doug Willey (Shelburne, N.H./Gorham) earned the win in relief tossing two scoreless innings, yielding just one hit, one walk and two strikeouts. Ravens starter Jack Crawford (Montgomery, N.Y./St. Andrews Univ.) was handed the no-decision on four innings, five hits, three runs (all earned), two walks and two strikeouts. Crawford left the game in the middle of the fifth inning after being struck with a comebacker.

Senior Eric Haughn (Pembroke, Mass./Pembroke) suffered the loss on two-and-two-thirds innings pitched, seven hits, seven runs (six earned), one walk and two strikeouts.

Franklin Pierce took an early 3-0 lead in the top of the first as sophomore first baseman Zach Mathieu (Derry, N.H./Pinkerton Acad.) smacked a bases clearing double into the right centerfield gap and advanced to third base on a throw towards home plate. Freshman Matt Walsh (Plymouth, Mass./Plymouth North) followed with a RBI single through the left side to cap the scoring at 4-0.

Stonehill cut the deficit in half in the bottom of the second inning on a Kyle Shepard (Boxford, Mass./Masconomet) bases loaded walk and a fielder's choice RBI from Colin Shepard (Boxford, Mass./Masconomet).

The Ravens answered with three runs in the top of the third and never looked back. Nick LaCroix (Grafton, Mass./Grafton) drove home a run with a double to left field, Anthony Peguero (Hyde Park, Mass./Wallace CC-Dothan) plated a run with a sacrifice bunt and Isaac Wenrich (Westlawn, Pa./Wilson) collected his first of three RBI's with a single to centerfield.

In the fifth, Mathieu launched a two-run homer to left field while Peguero crushed a grand slam to right centerfield in the Ravens ten-run sixth inning.

Sophomore second baseman Dan Fratus (Plymouth, Mass./Plymouth North) tallied his NE-10 leading eighth triple to left centerfield in the seventh driving in senior Michael White (Lisbon, N.H./Lisbon Regional), who doubled to left field in the previous at-bat.

Mathieu finished the contest going 2-for-3 with four runs scored and five runs batted in. Peguero was 3-for-4 with two runs scored and seven RBI's.

For Stonehill, White went 3-for-5 with three runs scored while Fratus was 2-for-4 with two runs and two runs batted in. Sophomore Billy Karalis (Pawtucket, R.I./Bishop Feehan) collected the Skyhawks only other multi-hit game going 2-for-4 with one run scored and one run batted in.

Stonehill (23-14, 11-8 NE-10, 6-5 Northeast Division) hosts Franklin Pierce University (25-12-1, 12-4-1 NE-10, 7-3-1 Northeast Division) tomorrow at Lou Gorman Field for a doubleheader starting at noon.