Junior Alex McCormick pitched eight-plus solid innings for the Skyhawks in a losing effort. |
#30 Franklin Pierce Slips Past Stonehill, 2-1
Pearson’s pinch-hit RBI single in the top of the ninth the difference
EASTON, Mass. (April 20, 2010) – Franklin Pierce University, ranked 30th in this week’s Collegiate Baseball magazine Division II poll, scored the go-ahead run in the top of the ninth with a pinch-hit RBI single from junior Eric Pearson (Webster, N.H./Merrimack Valley) to claim a 2-1 victory over Stonehill College, ranked seventh in the most recent NCAA Division II East Regional rankings, in Northeast-10 Conference baseball action at Lou Gorman Field this afternoon.
Pearson’s game-winning single to left came with two outs to drive in senior Phil Hendricks (Pittsfield, Maine/Maine Central Institute). Hendricks led off the ninth with a single up the middle and then stole second and advanced to third on a balk after Stonehill sophomore lefthander Michael Von Stein (Trumbull, Conn./Trumbull) had entered the game and gotten a pair of strikeouts.
Junior right-hander Jose Macias (Bronx, N.Y./Monroe College) earned the win (6-0) on the mound for Franklin Pierce, allowing just an unearned run on four hits with ten strikeouts and four walks over eight innings. Junior Rob Nicholas (Southborough, Mass./Algonquin Regional) worked around a hit and a walk in the ninth to post his ninth save of the season.
Hendricks finished 2-for-4 with a stolen base and the run scored to lead Franklin Pierce at the plate. Senior Cody Kauffman (Blue Bell, Pa./Wissahickon) hit 2-for-3 with a double and run scored, while freshman Nick LaCroix (Grafton, Mass./Grafton) batted 2-for-4 for the Ravens.
Senior Shane Franz hit 2-for-4 to lead Stonehill at the plate. (PHOTO BY Richard Orr) |
Junior right-hander Alex McCormick (Weymouth, Mass./Cardinal Spellman) was nearly as impressive in his eight-plus innings on the mound for Stonehill. He suffered the hard-luck loss (3-3) by allowing the two earned runs on seven hits with six strikeouts and a walk for the afternoon.
Senior Shane Franz (Cazenovia, N.Y./Cazenovia) hit 2-for-4 for Stonehill, while classmate Mitch Davis (Bow, N.H./Bow) was 1-for-4 with a run scored. Junior Scott Hackett (Bangor, Maine/Bangor) batted 1-for-2 with a pair of walks, while classmate Angelo Bruno (Norwalk, Conn./Norwalk) drove in the Skyhawks lone run.
Franklin Pierce opened the scoring in the third as Kauffman curled a double down the line in leftfield, advanced to third on a fly out by sophomore Mike Dowd (East Bridgewater, Mass./Cardinal Spellman) and then scored on a ground out to short by junior Derek Ingui (Sterling, Mass./Wachusett Regional).
Stonehill knotted the score in the sixth as Davis legged out a single in the grass to short and advanced to second on a throwing error by Franklin Pierce freshman shortstop Dan Kemp (Sturbridge, Mass./Tantasqua) on the play. A Macias wild pitch put Davis on third before Bruno drove him in with a sacrifice fly to right.
Stonehill threatened against Nicholas in the bottom of the ninth as sophomore Rich McHugh (Pembroke, Mass./Thayer Academy) walked and Franz singled through the left side to lead things off. Sophomore Michael White (Lisbon, N.H./Lisbon Regional) bunted the two into scoring position and Nicholas recovered nicely after a comebacker to the mound by junior Brenden Shepard (Boxford, Mass./Masconomet) to just get pinch-runner Nick Nardacci (Glenmont, N.Y./Bethlehem Central) at the plate, before escaping the jam with a ground out to second to end the game.
Stonehill (16-15, 11-8 NE-10) is right back in action tomorrow when it faces Saint Michael’s College for a non-conference doubleheader at historic Centennial Field in Burlington, Vt., starting at 3 p.m. The Skyhawks return home next Wednesday, April 28, to host Saint Anselm College for a Northeast-10 matchup at Gorman Field at 3:30 p.m. Franklin Pierce (27-11-1, 13-5-1 NE-10) is off until hosting Stonehill for game two of their midweek NE-10 series on Thursday at 6 p.m.
