FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Franklin Pierce and Southern New Hampshire both got wins during day two of the 2015 NCAA East Regional Baseball Championship to extend their seasons, while Stonehill suffered a heart-breaker in the nightcap as play continued in Rindge, N.H.
#1 Franklin Pierce 1, #5 Dowling 0
RINDGE, N.H. – The road to an NCAA Regional title is long after losing on the first day, but junior right-hander Miles Sheehan made sure the No. 1/3 nationally ranked, top seed and host Franklin Pierce University baseball team got things off on the right foot on Friday, as he went the distance in a three-hit shutout to defeat fifth-seeded Dowling, 1-0, in an elimination game on the second day of the NCAA Championship East Regional
Sheehan did not allow a runner to reach third base in the game and retired 14 of the final 15 batters he faced.
With the win, Franklin Pierce improves to 47-3 and its season will live to see another day. With the loss, Dowling’s season comes to a close at 27-17.
Franklin Pierce will play next at 6:30 p.m. on Saturday against longtime rival Southern New Hampshire. The loser of that game will be eliminated on Saturday.
Sheehan stole the show on Friday afternoon, as he needed just 103 pitches (69 strikes) to dispatch Dowling. He faced just 31 batters over his nine innings, did not allow a runner past second base, surrendered three hits, walked one, hit two and struck out nine, his second-highest total of the season. It was his first shutout of the season, as well as his second complete game and his seventh win of the campaign (7-0).
Sheehan’s earned run average dropped to 0.29 with the nine shutout innings. Though it may continue to rise or fall if he pitches again in 2015, the mark currently stands as the fourth-lowest in NCAA Division II history, as well as the lowest since 1973.
The game’s lone run was manufactured on the basepaths by the Ravens in the top of the third. Junior shortstop Justin Brock took a five-pitch walk with one out. Brock then stole both second and third with junior center fielder Maxx Sheehan at the plate.
The latter lifted a 2-2 pitch deep to center field, which allowed Brock to tag and score easily on the sacrifice fly as the left fielder made the catch.
#3 Southern New Hampshire 6, #6 Saint Thomas Aquinas 3
RINDGE, N.H. – Senior catcher Tyler Fortanascio had a two-run single to key a three-run fifth inning on Friday afternoon, as No. 20 nationally ranked and third-seeded Southern New Hampshire picked up a 6-3 win over sixth-seeded St. Thomas Aquinas to stay alive on the second day of the NCAA Championship East Regional.
With the win, SNHU improves to 31-13 and will play another elimination game at 6:30 p.m. Saturday against top seed Franklin Pierce. With the loss, STAC falls to 28-18-1 and will face Stonehill in an elimination game Saturday at 3 p.m.
SNHU plated a single run in the first on an RBI single by graduate student designated hitter Mike Montville and a single run in the fourth on an RBI double by sophomore shortstop Zach Goldstein, before breaking the game open with three runs in the top of the fifth.
Fortanascio had the keynote address with his two-run single to push the lead to 5-0, after junior first baseman Lorenzo Papa had cashed in the game’s third run with an RBI single earlier in the frame.
St. Thomas Aquinas got three runs back in the bottom of the eighth, on a two-run double by senior third baseman Stanley Susana, who later scored on an RBI groundout. The Spartans could get no closer in the ninth, however, as junior right-handerStephen Fortuna nailed things down for his second save of the season as SNHU finished off the 6-3 win.
Alex Person threw 104 pitches (75 strikes) while logging the first eight innings on the mound for SNHU. He threw seven shutout frames before being touched up for three runs in the eighth. Ultimately, Person exited after allowing three runs on six hits, walked one and struck out seven to pick up the win (8-1).
#4 Wilmington 4, #2 Stonehill 3
RINDGE, N.H. – Senior Josh Swirchak smashed a game-tying single into center field that ultimately lead to a go-ahead score, leading the fifth-seeded Wilmington University Wildcats to a wild, 4-3 win over the second-seeded Stonehill College Skyhawks on day two of the 2015 NCAA Championships East Regional.
With the win, Wilmington improves to 35-12, while Stonehill drops to 34-14-1 on the season. Stonehill will now play at 3 p.m. tomorrow against St. Thomas Aquinas, while Wilmington will play the 10 p.m. game and will face the winner of the St. Thomas Aquinas/Stonehill matchup.
Wilmington would draw first blood, after it got two baserunners, senior Sam Goines would double down the left-field line to score both of them, giving the Wildcats the 2-0 lead.
However, Stonehill charged back in the top of the fourth, as after they got two baserunners, junior Brian Campbell tripled into the right-center field gap to tie things up at 2-2. The next batter, senior Dan Fratus doubled into the right-center field gap to give Stonehill the lead, 3-2.
Things would stay that way until the eighth inning, as Wilmington would get the ball rolling again with a leadoff walk by Frank Samluk. After advancing on a sac bunt, Samluk would score on Swirchak’s hit up the middle off of sophomore Aubrey Solomon.
Stonehill’s wheels would come off moments later, as a single by Goines and a controversial catcher’s interference call allowed Matt Lopes to take first base, loading the bases and chasing Solomon from the game.
Junior Mike Annone would then step in, and sky a fly ball to right field that found its way to the ground, allowing the runner from third to score the go-ahead run giving Wilmington a 4-3 lead.
Information for this release provided by the Franklin Pierce Athletics Communications staff.
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