Baseball Drops a Pair to #5 Franklin Pierce


Sophomore Michael Young pitched eight innings of two run ball against #5 Franklin Pierce this afternoon.

Skyhawks struggle to generate offense, scoring just one run over two games

EASTON, Mass. (March 26, 2016) – The Stonehill College baseball team fell victim to a pair of dominant pitching performances as No. 5 Franklin Pierce University won both ends of today's doubleheader in Northeast-10 Northeast Divisional action at Lou Gorman Field. Stonehill dropped the opener, 2-0, before falling in the second game by a 4-1 final.

Franklin Pierce's two starting pitchers went a combined 15 of a possible 18 innings today, allowing just one run on ten hits. Sophomore Anthony Matarazzo (Medford, Massachusetts/Malden Catholic) earned the win in the opener after lasting 6.2 innings, allowing just five hits while racking up five strikeouts and walking none. Classmate John Amendola (Wallingford, Connecticut/Northeastern Univ.) took the ball in game two and posted an even more impressive effort, as he went 8.1 innings and had a no-hitter going until the bottom of the eighth inning. Amendola struck out eight while walking just one batter.

Senior Justin Brock (Latham, New York/Albany Academy) went 2-for-3 in the first contest and stole two bags while scoring a run. Junior Chris LaVorgna (North Haven, Connecticut/Tulane Univ.) picked up two hits and one RBI in the opener, while senior Max DiTondo (Marshfield, Massachusetts/Marshfield) also collected two hits with a stolen base and a run. Brock paced the Ravens in game two, as he went 2-for-5 with a run and two stolen bases.

Sophomore Michael Young (Mashpee, Massachusetts/Pope John Paul II) started for Stonehill in the first game, going eight innings and giving up two runs on six hits and two walks to go with three punch-outs. Junior lefty Jeremy Roberts (Reading, Massachusetts/Malden Catholic) took the ball in game two, lasting three innings while surrendering three runs (two earned) on three hits and three walks with two strikeouts. Sophomore Pat Shore (Norwood, Massachusetts/Catholic Memorial) came on in relief and pitched three innings, giving up two hits with one walk and two strikeouts.

Senior Chris Hoyt (Walpole, Massachusetts/Xaverian Brothers) recorded Stonehill's lone multi-hit game in the opener, finishing 2-for-4 and accounting for two of the six hits. Junior Eddie Bowler (Hingham, Massachusetts/Hingham) hit a double in game two and scored a run, while sophomore Justin Nicklas (Foxboro, Massachusetts/St. Sebastian's) recorded a RBI single.

 

Franklin Pierce 2, Stonehill 0


Junior Eddie Bowler drove in the Skyhawks lone run of the afternoon today.
Franklin Pierce didn't waste any time putting the first run on the board, as they scored in the top of the first inning to take an early lead. Brock got things started with a walk and junior Jay Jabs (Schwenksville, Pennsylvania/Perkiomen Valley) reached base on an error, advancing Brock to second. LaVorgna then doubled to deep left center to score Brock and get the Ravens on the board.

 

Young would settle in after the first, setting Franklin Pierce down in order in the second, fourth and fifth innings. Stonehill would threaten in the sixth, as sophomore Alexander Joyce (Newton, Massachusetts/Newton North) led off the inning with a single and advanced to third base when Hoyt hit a single to center field. That's as close as the Skyhawks would get to scoring a run in the opener, as Franklin Pierce plated an insurance run in the seventh and senior Tanner Bird (Adams, Massachusetts/Hoosac Valley) closed the door in the ninth, earning his first save of the season.

 

Franklin Pierce 4, Stonehill 1

Franklin Pierce once again opened the game scoring in the first inning, pushing two runs across. LaVorgna registered a RBI single and Jabs and Brock each scored to give the Ravens a 2-0 lead. That was all the run support Amendola needed, as the sophomore pitched a gem, keeping a no-hitter intact all the way to the eighth inning.

Stonehill got to Amendola in the eighth, as Bowler led the inning off with a long double to center field and senior Brian Hocking (Duxbury, Massachusetts/BC High ) followed that up with a rocket through the left side of the infield. Nicklas then singled to left field, scoring Bowler and giving the Skyhawks their first run of the afternoon. After sophomore Isiah Nunez (Brooklyn, New York/Berkshire School) and Hoyt each reached base on a fielder's choice, Jabs came in and closed the door, striking out the final hitter of the inning to stop any further damage.

Stonehill (11-8, 0-2 NE-10) returns to Lou Gorman Field on Monday as they square off with Franklin Pierce (20-2, 2-0 NE-10) to close out the three game series at 3:30 p.m.

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