Wingate, N.C.----The Franklin Pierce University Ravens scored nine runs in the first three innings Wednesday afternoon, holding off a rally by Wingate University en route to a 15-9 victory in NCAA Division II baseball action at Ron Christopher Stadium and Plyler Athletic Field. The Ravens improve to 7-6 overall, while Wingate falls to 13-12 on the season.
Lucas Loupa was six-for-six with five RBI to lead the Franklin Pierce attack, while
John Friday and
Adam Chase added two RBI apiece.
Kyle Hood had three hits and five runs scored, while
Dalton Davis added a homer for the Ravens.
Tim Going and
Harrison Smoske each contributed an RBI.
Sophomore catcher
Andrew Llewellyn (Moseley, Va.) had a homer and three RBI to lead the Wingate attack. Freshman
Joseph Mason (Morehead City, N.C.) went four-for-four with three runs scored, while senior
Colby Barnette (Monroe, N.C.), junior
Trent Wynn (New Bern, N.C.) and freshman
McCann Mellett (Charlotte, N.C.) each collected two hits and an RBI, combining to score four runs. Junior outfielder
Ty Andrus (Winston-Salem, N.C.) added a hit and an RBI for the Bulldogs.
Llewellyn's RBI double plated Mason in the bottom of the first to give Wingate the lead. Franklin Pierce answered with seven runs in the second, starting with RBI singles from Smoske and Loupa, along with a Wingate error. Chase capped the scoring with a two-run single to make it 7-2. Loupa's two-run double in the third pushed the lead to seven.
Wingate scored four times in the third to cut the lead to five. Barnette started it with an RBI single, while Wynn followed with a two-run double. Mellett's RBI single made it 9-5. Llewellyn connected on a two-run homer in the fourth, his fourth long ball of the year, to make it 9-7.
Loupa's RBI single in the fifth put the Ravens back on top by three, while
John Friday added an RBI double to make it 11-7. Davis led off the sixth with a solo shot to put Franklin Pierce on top by five. Luopa added another RBI single in the seventh, then scored on a passed ball to make it 14-7.
Mellett drew a one-out walk in the seventh, then scored on a wild pitch to make it 14-8. The Ravens scored their 15th run of the day on a Wingate error in the top of the ninth. An RBI groundout from Andrus plated Mellett in the bottom of the ninth to make the final margin 15-9.
Ben Collincini got the win in relief, moving to 1-0. He tossed a shutout inning, striking out one and walking one while allowing two hits. Freshman right-hander
Alex Rodriguez (Kannapolis, N.C.) took the loss, falling to 0-1. He allowed four earned runs on eight hits in two innings, striking out three.
Wingate is back in action Friday, opening a three-game SAC series at Catawba at 6 p.m.
