Nine-Run First Leads No. 25 Baseball Past American International, 14-5

Dowd delivers three-run double

Box Score

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (April 20, 2009) – Freshman catcher Mike Dowd (East Bridgewater, mass./Cardinal Spellman) went 2-for-2 with a three-run double and scored twice to key a nine-run first inning on Monday afternoon as the No. 25 Franklin Pierce University baseball team defeated American International, 14-5, in Northeast-10 Conference play at AIC Park. Freshman third baseman Tyler McElman (Marlborough, Mass./Marlborough) hit a two-run home run for AIC in defeat.

Franklin Pierce immediately broke the game open and jumped out to a 9-0 lead in the top of the first inning. The big blows in the inning were a three-run double that dropped just inside the right-field line Dowd and a two-run double knocked up against the wall in left-center field by senior left fielder Ted Lerud (Hampden, Mass./Minnechaug Regional). Also in the inning, junior right fielder Kevin Rivers (Bristol, Conn./Bristol Eastern) brought home a run with an RBI double to right field and junior second baseman Cody Kauffman (Blue Bell, Pa./Univ. of Massachusetts) knocked a run-scoring single through the left side.

American International got on the board with a pair of runs in the bottom of the fifth inning to trim the lead to 9-2. Sophomore shortstop Dan Mooney (Bennington, Vt./LaSalle Institute) worked a walk and McElman clubbed a two-run home run beyond the 370-foot sign in left-center field.

Franklin Pierce added four runs in the top of the seventh inning to extend the lead to 13-2. In the inning, freshman designated hitter Tim Quinn (Paxton, Mass./St. John’s HS) recorded his first career hit, a three-run home run to left-center field.

American International later picked up a pair of runs to make it 13-4 in the bottom of the eighth inning on an RBI groundout by freshman second baseman Kenny Rollins (Ayer, Mass./Ayer) and an RBI single to right field by Mooney.

Franklin Pierce picked up an unearned run in the top of the ninth inning and American International added a run in the bottom half of the inning to create the 14-5 final.

Seven Franklin Pierce pitchers took to the mound on the day. Junior right-hander Heath Wasylow (Rehoboth, mass./Dighton-Rehoboth) threw a scoreless second inning, struck out one and eventually came away with the win (1-0).

Freshman right-hander Julian Concepcion (Woodstock Valley, Conn./St. Peter Marian) started on the hill and took the loss (0-2) for American International. In two-thirds of an inning, he surrendered nine runs (four earned) on five hits, walked three, hit a batter and struck out one.

The Ravens (24-14, 15-5 Northeast-10) return to the field on Tuesday, April 21, when they return home to host Pace in a Northeast-10 Conference contest which will be broadcast on WEEI 93.5 FM Keene. First pitch is scheduled for 6:05 p.m. at Dr. Arthur and Martha Pappas Field in Rindge, N.H. American International (6-26, 4-16 Northeast-10) returns to action on April 21 at Merrimack.