Senior James DeAlto recorded one hit and two RBI for Stonehill in the loss (PHOTO BY Richard Orr)

DeAlto drives in two, but Franklin Pierce holds on for a 4-3 victory.

RINDGE, N.H. (April 21, 2013) – The Stonehill College baseball team fell to the Franklin Pierce University Ravens, 4-3 in a Northeast-10 Conference matchup Sunday afternoon at Pappas Field in Rindge, N.H.

Junior Zach Mathieu (Derry, N.H./Pinkerton Academy) went 4-for-4 with two RBI to lead the way for the Ravens. Senior Nick LaCroix (Grafton, Mass./Grafton) also recorded an RBI for the Ravens in the win.

Senior captain James DeAlto (Briarcliff Manor, N.Y./Briarcliff) piloted the Skyhawks offense with one hit and two RBI. Freshman Chris Hoyt (Walpole, Mass./Xaverian Brothers) also collected a hit and a RBI for Stonehill.

Junior Trevor Graham (Sebastian, Fla./Florida Institute of Technology) pitched very well for Franklin Pierce. Graham held Stonehill to two runs (one earned) on one hit and two walks in seven innings. Graham struck out seven batters on the way to his sixth win of the season. Steve Hathaway (Acton, Mass./Acton-Boxborough) tossed the final two innings for Franklin Pierce to earn the save. Hathaway gave up one run on one hit and one walk, while striking out three.

Freshman Chris Hoyt posted a hit and a RBI for Stonehill on the day (PHOTO BY Richard Orr)

The Ravens took an early lead with two runs in the first inning. After Dan Kemp (Sturbridge, Mass./Tantasqua Regional) walked, Mathieu singled to right field. Kemp ended up scoring on the play when the right fielder committed an error. Later in the inning, LaCroix made it 2-0 when he singled home Mathieu.

Stonehill responded with two runs in the third to tie the score. With runners on second and third, Hoyt roped a single to right field, scoring the first run of the game for Stonehill. DeAlto knotted the score when he grounded out to second base, scoring the runner from third.

Franklin Pierce regained the lead in the fifth. After Kemp drew another walk, Mathieu capitalized when he hit a RBI-double to left center field making it 3-2 Ravens.

After Mathieu added another RBI on an single in the seventh inning to make it 4-2, the Skyhawks launched a comeback bid in the eighth. With two outs and a runner on first, DeAlto launched a RBI-double to left field to cut the lead to one. Hathaway closed the door for the Ravens after that, retiring the side in the ninth to collect his first save of the season.

Next up for Stonehill (20-17, 8-11 NE-10) is a Wednesday afternoon meeting with Bentley University at 3:30 pm in Waltham, Mass. Franklin Pierce (27-12, 17-3 NE-10) returns to action Wednesday afternoon

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