Franklin Pierce advances; SNHU eliminated
- Updated: May 8, 2024
Franklin Pierce to Host Championship Weekend.
MANSFIELD, Mass. — Assumption, the No. 4 seed in the Northeast Division, stunned top-seeded Southern New Hampshire in the Northeast-10 Conference Baseball Championship quarterfinals on Tuesday afternoon — grabbing one of four spots for Championship Weekend, which will be hosted by Franklin Pierce beginning on Thursday.
Assumption beat SNHU, 23-2, after an offensive explosion where they scored in the first six innings, and allowed one run in the first and one run in the ninth. The Greyhounds will join Franklin Pierce, Pace and New Haven at the NE10’s Championship Weekend, which is a double-elimination format. All games will be played at Dr. Arthur and Martha Papas Field in Rindge, N.H.
Franklin Pierce, the No. 2 seed out of the Northeast Division, will serve as Championship host for the first time since the 2016 season, after a walk-off home run in extra innings. The first two games of the four-team tournament will be played on Thursday, with three more games scheduled for Friday and the championship game(s) on Saturday. The rain date will be Sunday, May 12.
All games during Championship Weekend will be streamed live on NE10NOW.tv.
(4) Assumption 23, (1) SNHU 2 (NE) – Box Score
MANCHESTER, N.H. – Assumption took an early lead in the first inning, with Christopher Rabias driving in Chris Klein with a single to center field. Southern New Hampshire managed to level the score, but the Greyhounds quickly turned the game around. They unleashed a barrage of nine runs on ten hits, catapulting their lead to 10-1.
The onslaught didn’t stop there, as Assumption added four more runs in the third inning, with Jamison Howland and Cody Smith contributing crucial RBI. The Hounds added six runs in the fourth, two in the fifth, and one in the sixth, extending their advantage to 23-1. SNHU added a run in the bottom of the ninth to make the score 23-2, eliminating the top-seeded Penmen from the NE10 Tournament.
Griffin O’Connor earned the win after allowing just one run on three hits and striking out a pair. All of the Greyhound’s starters had at least one hit, with eight of the starting nine having an RBI. Cody Smith, Jamison Howland, and Max Lefrancois had four RBI, while Chris Klein and Jack Barry had three.
– Recap provided by Assumption athletic communications –
(2) Franklin Pierce 8, (3) Bentley 6 (NE) (F/10) – Box Score
RINDGE, N.H. – The Ravens jumped out to an early lead after two home runs in the bottom of the first. Ian Battipaglia hit the first, DH Nolan DeAndrade then hit another just three batters later to make it 3-0 after the first inning.
Esteban Rivera III was solid through two innings before getting into trouble in the third. A fielder’s choice allowed a run early in the inning, but Eddy Beauregard crushed a home run to put the Ravens behind for the first time. Franklin Pierce would answer immediately in the bottom half, with a Kiobel Lugo two run home run putting the Ravens back in front 5-4.
Rivera got back in a groove and held the Falcons scoreless in the fourth and fifth inning. Bentley responded in kind with three scoreless innings of their own. Riding off some momentum from the defense, the Falcons caught a rally in the sixth. After two runners got on to start the inning, Niklas Pavia came on in relief. He struggled early as he allowed an RBI single to center and sac bunt that put the Falcons back in the lead 6-5.
The Ravens got shut down in the bottom half of the sixth and Pavia threw a 1-2-3 seventh. Franklin Pierce’s offense caught fire again, loading the bases with one out. Lugo would come through again, hitting a sacrifice fly. However, the inning ended there as the Raven runner on second was called out for leaving early. The run counted and the score was tied 6-6.
Pavia threw a scoreless eighth and ninth, as did Bentley’s Connor Gileau, and the game went to extra innings. Pavia struck out three in the 10th, to give the Ravens a chance to win it with just one run. After a walk, caught stealing, and strikeout, all signs pointed to an 11th inning.
That was until DeAndrade got something started with a walk, and was pinch ran for. Hunter Wilichoski stepped up to the plate looking to find a way to extend the inning. Instead, he ended the game with a shot into the night.
The Ravens ended the game with four home runs, and Pavia got the win with 4.2 innings of relief with just one hit, no earned runs, and seven strikeouts.
Not only did the Ravens escape elimination, but are now hosting the NE10 Championship Weekend.
The Ravens will play Pace – the top seed in the Southwest Division on Thursday.
(1) Pace 8, (4) Saint Rose 5 (SW) – Box Score
PLEASANTVILLE, N.Y. – In another close match-up with the College of Saint Rose, the Pace University baseball team prevailed, 8-5, in front of their home crowd. With the win the Setters move on to the second round of the Northeast-10 Championship as they continue their quest for back-to-back NE10 titles.
After the Golden Knights opened the scoring in the top of the first the Setters answered by tallying one run in each of the next three innings. Anthony Labita kick started Pace’s offense with a long home run to right field in the first, and after three innings the Setters led 3-1.
Saint Rose would not go away as they brought the game back to even with two runs in the top of the fifth. In the inning, the Setters brought 2023 Northeast pitcher of the Year Patrick Gleason out of the bullpen for his first appearance of the year in relief. Gleason managed to escape the pressure of Saint Rose leaving the game tied 3-3 heading into the bottom of the fifth.
The Blue and Gold swiped the lead back in the bottom of the inning behind a Mason Baronian sacrifice fly. One more run came across the plate and the Setters took a 5-3 advantage into the sixth.
The lead did not last long as once again the Golden Knights tied the game at five in the top half of the sixth off two unearned runs. Saint Rose kept their foot on the gas pedal in the back-and-forth affair but in the final innings the Setters took control. Baronian struck again for Pace with a single up the middle to give Pace a one-run lead, 6-5. Gleason continued to cruise through Saint Rose’s lineup as he strung together two straight 1-2-3 innings.
In the bottom of the eighth the Setters put away the Golden Knights after driving in two runs to extend their lead to 8-5. A Matthew Franco double and a Baronian single accounted for Pace’s final runs of the contest. The Setters rode their momentum into the final half inning of the game.
Gleason stepped on the mound in the ninth and closed the door on Saint Rose. He retired the side in order for the third straight inning, as Pace came away with an 8-5 win to help push them ahead to the next round of the Northeast-10 Championship.
Baronian churned out one of his finest performances of the year as he went 4-for-4 with three RBIs and one run scored. Labita produced three runs scored in his 1-for-2 (2 walks) performance. Dylan Koch and Matthew Franco added two hits and two runs each. Although he did not draw the start on the mound, Gleason took command of the contest for the Setters. The Valhalla, N.Y. native earned the win, tossing 4.2 innings, allowing no earned runs, and one hit.
– Recap provided by Pace athletic communications –
(2) New Haven 6, (3) Adelphi 0 (SW) – Box Score
NEW HAVEN, Conn. –Junior southpaw Liam Carroll threw seven shutout innings with just a single hit to lead the New Haven baseball team to a 6-0 shutout of Adelphi in the opening round of the Northeast-10 Conference Championship.
Overall, Carroll allowed four batters to reach, one on the sixth inning single, two on walks and one hit by a pitch, facing a total of 26 batters, forcing 13 flyouts and five ground outs with four strikeouts. Both Randy Ramnarace and Matthew Minio saw work out of the bullpen with each accounting for three outs, two of Ramnarace’s coming on strikeouts.
At the plate, New Haven was led by sophomore right fielder Shaun Callahan who drove in two of the six runs scored, going 2-for-4 at the plate. As a team, New Haven finished with eight hits as shortstop Aedan Forde joined Callahan with a pair of hits while the remaining four all came from different players.
In addition to Callahan, Forde, centerfielder Nick Ungania, third baseman Joseph Frazzetta and pinch hitter Owen Pincince all drove in runs. Of the eight hits, two went in the books as extra base knocks with Forde doubling and Frazzetta tripling on a ball that reached the base of the fence in left centerfield.
New Haven’s offense opened up the scoring right away, scoring two runs in the bottom of the first on a single to right field from Callahan which allowed Ungania and first baseman Matt McIntire to score. Those two runs allowed Carroll to settle in on the mound while the offense would add single runs in the fourth and sixth and plate two more in the seventh to secure the victory.
– Recap provided by New Haven athletic communications –
NE10 Baseball Championship
Tuesday, May 7th – First Round (single elimination)
Game 1: #4 NE Assumption 23, #1 NE SNHU 2
Game 2: #2 NE Franklin Pierce 8, #3 NE Bentley 6 (F/10)
Game 3: #1 SW Pace 8, #4 SW Saint Rose 5
Game 4: #2 SW New Haven 6, #3 SW Adelphi
Thursday, May 9th, Friday, May 10th and Saturday, May 11th (Finals weekend will be hosted by the Southwest Division and is a double-elimination format)
Game 5 (Thursday): #2 NE Franklin Pierce vs #1 SW Pace – TBA
Game 6 (Thursday): #4 NE Assumption vs. #2 SW New Haven – TBA
Game 7: Game 5 loser vs. Game 6 loser
Game 8: Game 5 winner vs. Game 6 winner
Game 9: Game 7 winner vs. Game 8 loser
Game 10: Game 9 winner vs. Game 8 winner
Game 11: If necessary.
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