No. 6 Franklin Pierce Takes Two From Baseball
YAPHANK N.Y. (March 5, 2011) –
The C.W. Post Pioneers baseball team dropped a pair of games to No. 6 Franklin Pierce (6-0) on Saturday afternoon, losing in game one by the score of 10-1 and in game two by the score of 7-2. The duo of loses drops to Pioneers record to 0-8 on the season as non-conference plays continues.
C.W. Post got on the board first in the bottom of the second inning when junior Nick Compito (Jericho, N.Y.) led off with a double to left center field. After #P.J. Jennings# (Morris Plains, N.J.) struck out, Compito advanced to third on a wild pitch from Franklin Pierce starter Joe Flynn. Steve Smith (West Islip, N.Y.) singled to left field to drive Compito home to give the Pioneers the early advantage.
Pioneers sophomore starter Rafael Martinez (Bronx, N.Y.) allowed one hit over the first two innings before giving up three runs in the top of the third frame. The Franklin Pierce top of the order strung together four singles.
The Ravens would score single runs in each of the next three innings, including one more off of Martinez before he made way for reliever John Susino (West Hempstead, N.Y.). The freshman right-hander allowed three hits and two runs while walking one and striking out a pair.
In the top of the 7th inning, C.W. Post called on Mike Behar (Staten Island, N.Y.) to aid the struggling Pioneers pitching staff with little success. Behar allowed three runs, on two hits while walking three in his one inning of work.
Offensively for the Pioneers in game one, junior catcher Matt Simone (West Islip, N.Y.) and Smith each had a pair of hits with Smith driving in the lone run in the second.
In game two at Baseball Heaven the Pioneers turned over the ball to junior right-hander Paul Bischoff (Levittown, N.Y.) who was successful through his first five innings of work allowing just one run. The lone tally would be the result of two errors in the third inning by sophomore third baseman Kevin Chenicek (Levittown, N.Y.).
C.W. Post returned the favor by scratching out a run in the top of the 4th on a series of four hits by the middle of the Pioneers' lineup. Jennings would drive in the lone run on a base hit to centerfield. In the top of the 6th, Chenicek would redeem himself by driving home Compito on a sacrifice fly.
The wheels fell off for Bischoff and the Pioneers defensively in the bottom of the sixth as the team committed three costly errors that would allow the Ravens to blow the doors open on the game jumping out to a 5-2 lead. The Pioneers went to the bullpen to start the seventh inning when freshman right-hander Connor McCarthy (Westbury, N.Y.) made his collegiate debut. McCarthy would walk the first two batters he faced and give up a two-run single to Mike Dowd to cap off the scoring and give the Ravens a 7-2 lead.
For the Pioneers offensively centerfielder Smith led the squad with three base hits, while catcher Anthony Corona (Carmel, N.Y.) added a pair of his own.
The Pioneers will make their way for the third and final day of their weekend series at Baseball Heaven in Yaphank, N.Y. tomorrow morning when they take on Franklin Pierce one more time. The first pitch has been moved up to 10 a.m. with the threat of rain in the afternoon.