Baseball

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

May 18, 2013

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MANCHESTER, N.H. - Third-day action at the NCAA Baseball East Regional hosted by Southern New Hampshire University got underway Saturday morning, as sixth-seeded Franklin Pierce University eliminating fifth-seeded Pace University with an 8-1 victory at Penmen Field. 

Franklin Pierce later handed fourth-seeded and host So. New Hampshire its first loss of the double-elimination regional with a thrilling 3-2, 13-inning victory to advance to Sunday's championship game. 

Top-seeded Wilmington (Del.) also eliminated third-seeded University of New Haven with an 11-0 win on Saturday to advance to Sunday. 

Wilmington (Del.) will now take on So. New Hampshire Sunday at 12:00 p.m. in an elimination game. The winner will take on Franklin Pierce at 4:00 p.m. for the right to go to the Division II College World Series in Cary, N.C.

#6 Franklin Pierce 8, #5 Pace 1 - BOX | RAVENS BLOG
Ravens starter Kevin McGowan (pictured) scattered nine hits and allowed just one run in a complete-game effort. Sophomore third baseman Matt O'Herron was 4-for-4, with two runs and an RBI in the win.

Eight Ravens starters got into the hit column, while seven crossed the plate in the 8-1 victory.

Pace first baseman Brandon Martineson went 3-for-4 with an RBI in the loss, while rightfielder Charlie Galasso went 2-for-4.

The loss marked the end of Pace's run in a year in which it claimed a share of the Northeast-10 Southwest Division title. The Setters had beaten second-seeded St. Thomas Aquinas on Thursday, but fell to So. New Hampshire, 3-2, Friday night before Saturday's loss to the Ravens. 

#1 Wilmington (Del.) 11, #3 New Haven 0 – BOX
Wilmington starter Frank Samluk struck out 12 over seven innings of three-hit ball against New Haven Saturday afternoon to continue on to Sunday's fourth and final day of the regional in Manchester.

The top-seeded Wildcats, who have now won two in a row after falling to Franklin Pierce Thursday, will now take on So. New Hampshire Sunday at noon. That game will be an elimination game if the host Penmen suffer their first loss of the tournament tonight against Franklin Pierce. If the Penmen eliminate the Ravens tonight, Wilmington would need two victories tomorrow against the hosts.

New Haven also committed three errors in the loss, as starting pitcher John Melville allowed six runs – but just two earned – on 10 hits over 4.2 innings. Rightfielder Stephen Clout and designated hitter Chris DeMorais both doubled for the Chargers in the loss. 

Three different Wilmington players had three-hit days in the victory.

With the loss, the 2013 Northeast-10 Conference Champions' season also came to an end, as the Chargers (34-16) previously lost to So. New Hampshire on Thursday night.

#6 Franklin Pierce 3, #4 So. New Hampshire 2 (13) | BOX | RAVENS BLOG
Franklin Pierce starter Vladimir Camacho allowed one run on five over eight innings and Penmen starter Derrick Sylvester allowed just one unearned run on six hits in nine innings of work in Saturday night's pitcher's duel.

So. New Hampshire tied it at 1-1 in the eighth on a Riley Palmer sac fly to eventualy send it to extra innings. Franklin Pierce catcher Marty Dunlap then gave the Ravens a 2-1 lead in the 11th on a sac fly of his own, only for the Penmen to tie it up again in the bottom half after Matt Boulter drew a bases loaded walk.

But Dunlap struck again in the 13th, delivering an RBI single through the left side to regive Franklin Pierce the lead. So. New Hampshire then stranded a pair in the 13th - two of 18 men left on base in the loss - to end it.

The Northeast-10 is an association of 16 NCAA Division II colleges and universities located in New England and New York that are committed to supporting balanced academic and athletic opportunities for more than 6,000 student-athletes. Each year, 4,000 of those student-athletes compete in Conference championships in 23 sports, making the NE-10 the largest DII conference in the country. Leading the way in the classroom, on the field and within the community, the Northeast-10 is proud of its comprehensive program and the experience it provides student-athletes.