BASEBALL SWEEPS #13 FRANKLIN PIERCE

RINDGE, NH - The Pace University baseball team, ranked third in the latest NCAA Division II Northeast Region Poll, took a pair of Northeast-10 Conference games from the Ravens of Franklin Pierce University, ranked second in the Northeast Region, winning the opener 6-4 and completing the sweep in the nightcap prevailing 9-8 in 13 innings. The Ravens came into the game ranked 13^th in the latest Collegiate Baseball Magazine NCAA Division II poll, as well as 11^th in the NCBWA Division II National Poll, 1^st in the NCBWA Division II Northeast Regional Poll and 8^th in the pingbaseball.com Division II poll. With their wins, Pace remains atop of the NE-10 standings at 15-3-1 and 26-12-1 overall on the season, while Franklin Pierce drops to 29-9-1 on the year and 14-7-1 in conference play.

Senior Jack Cawley (Bronx, NY/Iona Prep) (Bronx, NY/Iona Prep) got things going in game one drilling a bases clearing three-run double to left center in the top of the fifth inning scoring sophomores Aaron Zrenda (Niantic, CT/Loomis Chaffee Prep) (Niantic, CT/Loomis Chaffee Prep), and JJ Conrad (Hamburg, NJ/Wallkill Valley) (Hamburg, NJ/Wallkill Valley) and junior Andre Liscinsky (Trumbull, CT/Trumbull) (Trumbull, CT/Trumbull) to break the scoreless game. Zrenda led off the inning with a double to left center and moved to third on a sacrifice bunt attempt by Conrad, who safely reached base on an error by the pitcher. Liscinsky later walked to load the bases.

Zrenda's RBI double to left center in the top of the sixth brought home senior Matt Rigoli (Parsippany, NJ/Parsippany) (Parsippany, NJ/Parsippany), who walked to lead off the inning, giving Pace a 4-0 advantage. The Setters would tack on their last two runs in the top of the eighth as Pace loaded the bases on a leadoff single by Rigoli and a pair of walks by Zrenda and Conrad. Senior Joe Barracato's (Westbury, NY/W.T. Clarke) (Westbury, NY/W.T. Clarke) RBI sacrifice fly to right field brought home Rigoli, while Liscinsky's RBI single to left scored Zrenda.

The Ravens would rally in the bottom of the ninth scoring four runs, but would come up short as Pace escaped with the 6-4 victory. Pinch-hitter Ted Lerud's RBI single to left center brought in Cliff Hicks for Franklin Pierce' s first run of the ballgame. Scott Savastano's two-run double to left brought home Lerud and Jake Christman. Kevin Rivers' RBI sacrifice fly to left brought home Derek Ingui for the Ravens final run of the game.

Junior starter Zach Dayton (North Falmouth, MA/Falmouth) (North Falmouth, MA/Falmouth) (4-1) tossed six shutout innings, allowing just three hits and three walks, while striking out seven. Sophomore MacKenzie King (Blairstown, NJ/North Warren Regional) (Blairstown, NJ/North Warren Regional) came in relief pitching 2 1/3 innings allowing four runs (two earned) on four hits, while striking out six. Classmate Frank Luongo (West Harrison, NY/Harrison) (West Harrison, NY/Harrison) finished the game getting the final two outs to pick up his second save of the year.

Mike Adams (6-1) took the loss going seven innings, allowing four runs (one earned) on five hits, while surrendering three walks and striking out five.

The Ravens struck first in the nightcap scoring a run in the bottom of the third on an RBI single from Savastano that plated Lerud. The Setters would answer with a four-run inning in the top of the fourth. Sophomore Mike Torello (Cheshire, CT/Cheshire) (Cheshire, CT/Cheshire) drew a bases loaded walk that scored Zrenda for Pace's first run of the game. Conrad's RBI single to left brought in Rigoli, while Barracato had the big two-run triple to right center that drove home Conrad and Torello.

The Ravens added two runs in its half of the fourth to cut their deficit to 4-3. Hicks' RBI triple to right center brought home Rivers, while Hicks came in to score on an RBI groundout from Randy Bernosky. The Setters would increase their lead to 6-3 scoring a pair of runs in the top of the fifth. Cawley's RBI single to left brought home Liscinsky, while senior Chris Brown's (West Kingston, RI/South Kingston) RBI sacrifice fly to center brought in junior transfer Joe Cotone (Yorktown Hts., NY/Lakeland) (Yorktown Heights, NY/UMass/Lakeland).

Bernosky's bat would end up tying the game for the Ravens, as his RBI double down the leftfield line plated Tyler Bishop and his two-run homerun in the bottom of the eighth drove home Hicks abd tied the game at six apiece.

The game would remain knotted at 6-6 until the top of the 13^th as Pace scored three runs to take a 9-6 lead. Zrenda's two-run double to right center brought home Liscinsky and Cawley. Rigoli would later reach base safely on a throwing error by the third basemen, which allowed Zrenda to score.

The Ravens would not go down quietly as they rallied in the bottom of the 13^th scoring a pair of runs, but would once again come up short. Hicks and Bernosky each drew a bases loaded walk that scored Ingui and Kevin Renaud, but King would close out the game recording the final two outs of the game en route to picking up his third save of the season. Zrenda (3-1) picked up the win in relief as the Setters used six different pitchers, while the Ravens used eight pitchers.

Pace returns to action on Tuesday, April 22^nd, as the Setters will play host to the Golden Knights of the College of Saint Rose in a Northeast-10 Conference match-up. First pitch is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. at Finnerty Field on the Pleasantville campus of Pace University.