Garden City, N.Y. - A game-winning rally for the Adelphi University baseball team fell just over 90 feet short in the first game of Thursday's NCAA Division II East Regional.

Three singles, an error and a fielder's choice plated two for the top-seeded Panthers in the bottom of the ninth inning, shaving a 4-1 deficit to a single run and putting the tying run 90 feet away and the game-winning run on first. 

However, with two outs, sophomore catcher Jack Ryan stepped up to the plate and lined one to right field which landed in the glove of Raven Graham Smith - sealing a 4-3 upset for the eighth-seeded Ravens in the first game of the tournament. 

Franklin Pierce (29-22), a storied program with 15 all-time NCAA appearances but earned the automatic qualifier and last berth as the Northeast-10 Conference champions, scored two early against Adelphi (34-8-1) ace Ed Baram, plating two in the second inning on a two-run double for Joel Ozuna.

Lucas Terwilliger's RBI single halved the deficit in the fourth, but stranded baserunners proved to be the story for the Brown and Gold on the afternoon.

Adelphi left 14 runners on base in nine innings, going down in order just twice, which included leaving the bases loaded in both the fourth and fifth innings.

Franklin Pierce made the Panthers pay with an insurance run in the fifth and seventh, on an error by Baram and a wild pitch by Mark Novello, respectively, which loomed large in the game's late stages. 

Adelphi also stranded one in the seventh and two in the eighth, as Ravens reliever Evan Glew struck out Jonathan Iadevaia en route to recording his third save of the season. 

Adelphi must now win twice on Friday to extend its season to at least Saturday, beginning with a game tomorrow at noon against the loser of Thursday's late game against NYIT or Wilmington (Del.) on William J. Bonomo Field. 

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About Adelphi Athletics
A regionally and nationally competitive NCAA Division II institution located in Garden City, N.Y., Adelphi University has been a proud member of the Northeast-10 Conference since 2009.

Winners of 16 NCAA Division II National Championships and four NE10 Presidents' Cups, Panther athletes have excelled at the conference, regional and national level, both on the field of play and in the classroom. In turn, the Adelphi athletic department is committed to fostering an environment of diversity, inclusion, equity and success where its student-athletes can thrive both on campus and off.

Stay connected with Adelphi Athletics by following the Panthers at aupanthers.com or via social media on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram and wear your Panther pride by shopping official Adelphi Panthers gear at our licensed team store