May 20, 2005

Box Score

Rindge, NH - The Adelphi baseball team faced #1 Franklin Pierce in the elimination game of the NCAA Division II Northeast Regional this morning. The #3 Panthers managed seven hits and four runs but gave up 14 hits, including three home runs in a 12-4 loss to the Ravens. With the loss Adelphi ends their season with a record of 25-19 overall, while Franklin Pierce will face the loser of the #2 Southern Connecticut State and #4 UMASS-Lowell game in another elimination game.

Adelphi opened the top of the first with hard throwing right hander Mike Myers (Wantagh, N.Y.) on the hill. Myers retired the first batter but then got into a little trouble, giving up a single and then hitting the next batter to put runners on first and second, followed by a wild pitch that moved the runners to second and third.

Franklin Pierce pitcher Bryan Duplissie (east Swanzey, NH) helped his own cause with a two-out, two-run double. With the score 2-0 Vinny Pennell (Spencer, MA) grounded out to second to end the top of the first. The Ravens opened the bottom of the first with junior righty Duplissie on the mound, who worked through the first inning 1-2-3.

Myers settled down in the top of the second, striking out two, walking one and ending the inning with a fly out to right. Tom Sicari (Westbury, N.Y.) opened the bottom of the second with a double and moved to third on a sac bunt by Bobby Calca (Elmont, N.Y.). Sicari came home when the Raven short stop committed an error on a chopper hit by Matt DeWitt (North Bellmore, N.Y.) to make the score 2-1. Duplissie got out of the inning without further damage, forcing a ground out to first to end the second.

Elliott Shea (Jaffery, NH) opened the top of the third with a double and was immediately driven in by Mike Chambers (Londonderry, NH) who hit a line drive that bounced over the left field wall, scoring Shea and giving the Ravens a 3-1 advantage with no outs. Chambers was bunted over to third and scored on Myers third wild pitch of the game.

Franklin Pierce then got an intentional walk and a bunt single to load the bases, which ended Myers day, lefty Adam Kipling (Smithtown, N.Y.) replaced Myers. Retiring the first two batters he faced, before Franklin Pierce scored their third run of the inning on a wild pitch. Garrett Olson (Norway, Maine) ended the top of the third with a deep fly to center and a 5-1 lead.

Tom Cali (Shirley, N.Y.) got things going in the bottom of the third, legging out a double, followed by a walk by Doug Anderson (Oyster Bay, N.Y.). Anderson made the score 5-2 when the Raven third baseman misplayed a grounder. The Panthers scored another run when Brian Rath (Wantagh, N.Y.) crossed home plate on Bryan Horrmann (Ronkonkoma, N.Y.) ground rule double, making the score 5-3 and giving Adelphi runners on second and third. But DeWitt ended the Panther rally with a line out to third.

Kipling opened the top of the fourth issuing a walk to Shea. Shea was driven in by Chambers who hit a home run over the wall in left center to give Franklin Pierce a 7-3 edge with no outs. The Ravens tacked on another run to make the score 8-3 on a one-out single by Pennell that scored Shawn Hayes (Charlton, MA) from third. Kipling closed out the inning without further complications, getting a ground out to third to enter the bottom of the fourth trailing 8-3.

Duplissie sat down Adelphi almost without incident in the bottom of the fourth, giving up just one hit in the inning, a double to Cali. Kipling set the Ravens down in order in the top of the fifth on just five pitches to keep the score 8-3. For the second consecutive inning the Panthers mustered just one hit, leaving the score 8-3 in favor of the Ravens.

Franklin Pierce added a ninth run in the top of the sixth on a shot over the wall in right center by Hayes, which ended Kipling's outing after three and a third innings. Kipling was relieved by Mike Thompson (Bethpage, N.Y.), who induced two pop outs to end the top of the sixth. For the third straight inning the Ravens kept Adelphi off the board to keep their advantage at six runs.

Thompson opened the seventh by walking the first two Franklin Pierce batters he faced, giving the Ravens runners on first and second. Thompson worked two outs before Shea hit a high pop up to shallow left field that dropped in, scoring two runners. James Conklin (New Hyde Park, N.Y.) ended the inning with the score 11-3 Franklin Pierce, when he threw a Raven runner out at third on an attempted steal.

Adelphi went down in order in the bottom of the seventh on two ground outs to short and a fly to the warning track in right. While Hayes opened the eighth with his second home run of the game, giving the Ravens a 12-3 edge. Thompson recorded the first out of the inning and was then replaced by Nick Lio (Massapequa, N.Y.). Lio struck out the first batter he faced, then gave up a double before getting a pop out to shallow right to end the top of the eighth.

The Panthers got something going in the bottom of the eighth when Frank Alesia (Valley Stream, N.Y.) scored from first on a double by Nick Testani (Williston Park, N.Y.). But Duplissie ended the rally, striking out Conklin to end the inning.

Chris Widmer (Valley Stream, N.Y.) became the fifth Adelphi pitcher to take the mound as he opened the ninth. Randy Fenton (Worcester, MA) reached on a throwing error, but no damage was done as the very next batter ground into a double-play. Chris Palladino (East Meadow, N.Y.) came into to relive Widmer and gave up a single before getting a ground out to short to end the top of the ninth.

Kyle Graham (Westboro, MA) came into close out the game on the hill for the Ravens. Graham set the Panthers down 1-2-3 in the ninth to collect a 12-4 win for the Franklin Pierce.

Duplissie (6-1) pitched eight innings, scattered seven hits and gave up just one earned run to pick up his sixth win of the year. While Myers (6-4) collected the loss for Adelphi who finished their most successful season since 2000 with a record of 25-19.