RINDGE, N.H. – Top-seeded Franklin Pierce rapped out 13 hits as it eliminated third-seeded Southern New Hampshire University from the 2015 NCAA Division II Baseball Championship East Regional Saturday night at Pappas Field.  The Ravens, the nation's top-ranked team, improve to 48-3, while the Penmen, ranked No. 20 nationally, see their season come to a close at 31-14.

Shortstop Justin Brock led the Ravens with three hits, while Matt Walsh was 2-for-4 with four RBI.  Maxx Sheehan, John Razzino and Kyle Hood also had two hits apiece.

Manny Cruz (Wolcott, Conn.) had two of Southern New Hampshire's four hits, with Alejandro Diaz (Old Bridge, N.J.) and Ryan Gendron (Nashua, N.H.) notching the others.

Franklin Pierce jumped out to a 3-0 lead after two innings after scoring once in the first and twice in the second off Penmen starter David Gibson (Hanover, Mass.), who struck out four in his 1.2 innings of work.  SNHU got a run back in the bottom of the third as Lorenzo Papa (Stoneham, Mass.) walked, Gendron doubled down the left field line, and a sac fly to the track in left-center by Tyler Fortanascio (Oradell, N.J.) plated Papa.  Walsh was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded in the fifth to give Franklin Pierce a 4-1 lead.

The Penmen got the first two runners on in the sixth, as Cruz singled up the middle, followed by a walk by Carson Helms (Farmington, Conn.).  The next batter, Mike Montville (Portsmouth, N.H.), sent a towering popup to shallow left-center that was dropped by Sheehan, apparently loading the bases.  However, the home plate umpire signaled for an infield fly, and after the umpires conferred, the call stood.  Both runners moved up on the error, with Cruz eventually scoring to make it 4-2 on a passed ball.

The Ravens salted the game away by scoring twice in the seventh and twice in the eighth to extend the lead to 8-2.

Gibson took the loss for SNHU, falling to 5-3.  Mike Robert (Nashua, N.H.) worked four innings of relief and allowed two hits and one run while striking out seven and walking two.  Brendan O'Rourke went five-plus for Franklin Pierce and allowed three hits and two runs (one earned) while striking out six and walking four.  Paul Fahey tossed four shutout innings, allowing just one hit and striking out four, to earn his fourth save of the season.

Southern New Hampshire was making its fourth straight NCAA East Regional appearance.

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