O'Rourke Fans Career-High 16 in 2-1, 12-Inning Loss to Franklin Pierce
NORTH ANDOVER, MA - Despite a career-high 16 strikeouts from
Ryan
O'Rourke (Worcester, MA) in 11 shutout innings,
the reigning regional champion Franklin Pierce defeated Merrimack
2-1 in 12 innings in a classic pitching duel Thursday afternoon at
Warrior Field.
"Ryan certainly pitched well enough to win," said head coach
Joe Sarno. "Our hitters just couldn't figure
out [Mike] Adams. He had it going and he's obviously hard to
touch when he's throwing like that. With 15 Conference games
left, we're still a confident club and feel that we can make a
run."
After 11 scoreless innings, O'Rourke gave way to
Keith
Johansen (Tyngsborough, MA) who allowed a leadoff walk
and a sacrifice bunt before being relieved by Ryan McNeill (Lynnfield,
MA). McNeil walked Derek Ingui
intentionally and got Dan Kemp to ground out to third, moving the
runner to third with two outs. That brought up Jose Macias, who
beat out a grounder in the hole between short and third to plate
the game's first run. The Ravens added a second run on a
double steal play with runners at the corners.
Freshman Mark O'Flynn
(Ipswich, MA) reached on a single down the left field
line to leadoff the 12th, advanced to third on a wild
pitch and scored on a RBI groundout from Brendan Pyburn
(Peabody, MA). But Rob Nicholas retired the final
two Warriors, and the Ravens escaped with the victory.
Franklin Pierce starter Mike Adams retired the first 13 Warriors
in order before Tim Curran (South
Weymouth, MA) singled through the right side in the fifth
inning.
O'Rourke scattered six hits and escaped a two-on, none out
situation in the eighth inning. With runners on first and second,
O'Rourke fielded a bunt off the bat of Mike Dowd and gunned
down the lead runner at third. Then, the left-hander picked off
Cody Kauffman at second for the second out before striking out Mike
Munoz, O'Rourke's 12th victim of the day.
He needed just four pitches to retire the Ravens in order in the
ninth inning. In the tenth, he struck out the first two
hitters, and after surrendering a two-out single, got Kauffman to
pop up to Pybrurn.
The Warriors built a two-out rally in the 10th as
Curran singled, his third of the game, and Mike Dooling (Milford,
CT) followed with a single, sending Curran to third with
Dooling advancing to second on the throw. That ended
Adams' day as Rob Blanc replaced the right-hander to face
Ray
Walker (Lowell, MA), who struck out swinging.
O'Rourke returned for the 11th, retiring the
side in order, while striking out his 15th and
16th batters of the game. His day ended after 11 shutout
innings, allowing six hits and 16 strikeouts.
Adams allowed just four hits, three to Curran, over 10 2/3
innings while striking out seven.
Merrimack (9-8, 5-6 NE-10) visits Saint Rose for a pair of
conference games on Saturday beginning at 12 p.m.
