Baseball Drops Extra-Inning Affair vs. Franklin Pierce on Senior Day at Trinity Stadium

Links: Box Score

HAVERHILL, Mass.  – For the second straight game, the Merrimack College baseball program and the Franklin Pierce University Ravens went to extra innings, with the visiting Ravens avenging last night's 13-inning defeat with a 14-inning triumph, 4-2, on Sunday afternoon in the divisional rivals' series finale from Trinity Stadium in Haverhill, Mass.

The defeat snapped Merrimack's six-game winning streak, but the Warriors entered Sunday already having clinched their Northeast Division series against the Ravens for the first time in six years. Sophomore Jake Thibault impressed out of the bullpen, throwing six innings of one-run ball after taking over for senior Riley Sorenson in the eighth frame. The Ravens finally pushed runs across against Thibault in the 14^th frame, however, as a two-out two-run double gave Franklin Pierce the lead for good.

Before the contest, the program celebrated Senior Day by recognizing its eight graduating members of the Class of 2019: seniors Daniel Amidon, Trevor Cooley, Anthony Garbarino, Billy Keegan, Cam Monagle, Matthew Ronai, Sorenson and Cory Wasylow. The group entered Sunday with 108 wins over the last four years, establishing themselves as the winningest class in school history.

The Basics
Score (14 Innings): Franklin Pierce 4, Merrimack 2
Records: Merrimack (25-14, 14-3 NE Div.) | Franklin Pierce (21-18, 10-7 NE Div.)
Location: Trinity Stadium | Haverhill, Mass.   

Rapid Recap

• Both teams struck for runs in the second inning. Franklin Pierce loaded the bases with one out, and used a single to score the day's first run. Sorenson limited the damage there, inducing consecutive grounders to junior Joey Porricelli who eliminated the leader runner at home on his first attempt before stepping on the third-base bag on the next one to end the inning
• Porricelli was involved with the game-tying hit in the bottom half, as well. With two runners on and two outs, the junior captain chopped a single through the left side that scored Keegan and square the game at one run apiece
• Sorenson and Zach Hart – his counterpart for the Ravens – did not allow a run over the next five innings to keep the contest at 1-1 through seven frames. Sorenson stranded runners in scoring position in the third, faced four batters or fewer in the fourth, fifth and sixth innings, and then left Ravens standing at first and third in the seventh inning to complete his outing
• Franklin Pierce manufactured its go-ahead run in the eighth. A leadoff bunt single followed by a sacrifice bunt along with a passed ball put a runner on third with one down. The frame's second passed ball allowed the Raven to race 90 feet home, making it a 2-1 contest
• The score remained at that margin entering the bottom of the ninth, when Merrimack tied the game. Porricelli hit a leadoff single up the middle, stole second, and then aggressively reached single on a ground ball in hole between shortstop and third by classmate Nick Shumski. Fellow junior Thomas Joyce came up next, hitting a ground ball to the right side that plated Porricelli and forced extra innings
• Neither team sent a runner past second base through the 13^th inning. Merrimack's best chance in extras came in the bottom of the 12^th, when Ronai hit a one-run single and advanced to second with two down, but he was stranded there. In the top of the 14^th, the Ravens used a leadoff single followed by a runner reaching on a sacrifice bunt to put two players on with no outs. Later in the frame, the visitors had runners in scoring position with two outs when senior Brad Roberto lined a double into left-center field that gave Franklin Pierce its lead back, 4-2
• Merrimack brought the game-tying run to the plate in the bottom of the 14^th after Shumski legged out an infield single, but its rally halted there

Top Performers // Notes

• WP: Aldridge (1-0) | LP: Thibault (2-3)
• Sorenson's Final Line (ND): 7.0 IP, 8 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 4 K
• Sorenson threw his second consecutive quality outing. He lowered his ERA to 2.52 over 14 appearances, while opposing hitters are hitting just .206 off Sorenson this season, the lowest opponent's batting average against of any pitcher on Merrimack's staff
• Thibault threw his best outing of the season. The first-year transfer from Endicott College did not allow an earned run until his seventh inning of work. He retired nine straight batters at one point, and did not allow a hit after the first batter his faced until there were two outs in the 12^th frame
• The offense scatted 10 singles over 14 innings, with Porricelli, Ronai, Shumski and freshman Michael Golankiewicz totaling two each
• Porricelli stole his conference-leading 31^st bag on Sunday, moving into third on Merrimack's all-time stolen base list (66). He needs nine more for the all-time record and seven more for the single-season mark

Up Next:
Merrimack begins the final week of the regular season on Tuesday afternoon when the Warriors play their rubber game against Assumption College. First pitch from Rocheleau Field in Worcester, Mass. is set for 3:30 p.m.