Box Score BOX SCORE
When and Where: March 30, 2016 – Rindge, N.H. (Pappas Field)
Score: Franklin Pierce University 5, Southern New Hampshire University 3
Records: Franklin Pierce 21-2 (3-0 Northeast-10, 3-0 NE Division), SNHU 18-3 (4-1 Northeast-10, 4-1 NE Division)
Junior Manny Cruz (Wolcott, Conn.) went 2-for-4 and drove in a run, but the 10th-ranked Southern New Hampshire University baseball team dropped a 5-3 decision to fifth-ranked Franklin Pierce University on Wednesday afternoon at Pappas Field.
Franklin Pierce grabbed a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first against sophomore starter Justin Valdespina (Garfield, N.J.) when Jay Jabs hit an RBI single up the middle to score Maxx Sheehan, who led off with a base hit to center and went to third on an ensuing fielding error. The Ravens would leave the bases loaded in the inning.
The Ravens took advantage of two more Southern New Hampshire errors to open up a 3-0 lead in the third. Franklin Pierce nudged the gap to 4-0 in the fourth when Justin Brock was hit by a pitch, stole second, advanced to third on a fly ball to right and scored on a two-out passed ball.
SNHU finally cracked Franklin Pierce starter Paul Covelle in the fifth when freshman Kevin Alexy (Newton, Mass.) led off with a double to right-center and scored on Cruz' single up the middle. Sophomore Sean Webster (Boston, Mass.), who followed Alexy with a walk and went to third on the Cruz hit, scored on a wild pitch to make it a two-run game at 4-2.
Franklin Pierce took one back in the sixth on Jabs' solo home run to right-center that made it 5-2, before graduate student Mike Mastroberti (Ramsey, N.J.) answered with a two-out solo blast of his own to left-center in the eighth. The Penmen would leave one on in the eighth and ninth, but never seriously threatened.
Cruz was 2-for-4 with an RBI, while Mastroberti (run, RBI), Alexy (run) and junior Carson Helms (Farmington, Conn.) were all 1-for-4.
Valdespina (4-2, 3.55 ERA) was charged with four runs – two earned – on five hits, while striking out three and walking three, over four innings. Junior Ben Criscuolo (Branford, Conn.) gave up a run on two hits, striking out one and walking a batter over two innings. Sophomore Ivon Clough (Dublin, N.H.) tossed two scoreless innings, recording three strikeouts and issuing a walk.
Covelle gave up two runs on three hits, while fanning nine and walking a pair, in seven innings.
Notes:
- The Penmen entered the game having won four-in-a-row – all against Northeast-10 Northeast Division foes.
- Cruz has recorded a hit in 13 of his last 14 games.
- Clough has not allowed a run in seven innings this season and is holding opponents to a .095 batting average.
Up Next:
The Penmen are back in action Thursday, March 31 (3 p.m.) when they play host to Saint Michael's College (0-12) in their 2016 home opener.
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