MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. (February 21, 2020) – It was mixed reviews for the Franklin Pierce University baseball team on Opening Day on Friday, in a pair of non-conference games at The Ripken Experience. In their opener, the Ravens hammered out 12 hits to ring up a 10-4 win over Dominican (N.Y.). However, in the nightcap, Franklin Pierce was held to just five hits and suffered a 5-0 loss at the hands of No. 10/12 nationally ranked NYIT, the defending East Region champion.

With the split, the Ravens open the 2020 campaign at 1-1. Both Dominican and NYIT faced Franklin Pierce in their respective season openers. The Ravens will be back at it in Myrtle Beach on Saturday, when they will meet Mercy in a doubleheader beginning at 2:30 p.m.

Game 1: Franklin Pierce 10, Dominican (N.Y.) 4

In the first game of the day, Franklin Pierce cashed in three early runs in support of senior right-hander Derek Duffy (Farmington, Conn.) and never looked back. In the top of the third, sophomore center fielder Joel Lara (Boston, Mass.) drew a one-out walk, stole second, stole third and scored on squeeze bunt by senior catcher Dylan Jones (Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.). In the top of the fourth, senior first baseman Jonel Ozuna (New York, N.Y.) singled leading off and scored two batters later when senior second baseman James Boria (Massapequa, N.Y.) cranked his fifth career home run.

Meanwhile, Duffy (1-0) took the ball on Opening Day and did not disappoint. He logged six innings of one-run ball to pick up the win in his first work of the season. Duffy allowed five hits, did not issue a walk, hit two batters and struck out three, while piling up 12 ground-ball outs. He did not allow an extra-base hit.

Dominican cut the gap to 3-1 in the bottom of the sixth, as one of the hit batters came back to hurt Duffy. Senior shortstop Joshua Colon was plunked leading off, moved to second on a groundout and scored on an RBI single by junior designated hitter Steven Santana.

Franklin Pierce broke the game wide open with a seven-spot in the top of the seventh to stretch the lead to 10-1. The Ravens sent 13 men to the plate in the inning, and seven different players had an RBI in the frame. Junior left fielder Charles Lebron (Brooklyn, N.Y.), who was making his Franklin Pierce debut, provided the only extra-base hit of the inning with an RBI double.

Dominican put together a trio of runs with the help of a Franklin Pierce error in the last of the ninth to close the final gap to 10-4. Junior third baseman Ryan Ruziecki had a two-run single in the frame, while freshman Brian Parzyck provided a pinch-hit, run-scoring single as well.

Dominican turned to senior left-hander Eric Sandusky (0-1) in the season opener, and he logged six innings too. He allowed three runs on four hits, walked three and struck out three while suffering the loss.

Game 2: NYIT 5, Franklin Pierce 0

In the second game of the day, Franklin Pierce's bats went quiet, particularly in key spots, as the Ravens were held to five hits and left 10 men on base. Franklin Pierce failed to capitalize on four walks and a pair of NYIT errors and did not record an extra-base hit in the contest.

NYIT scored twice in the bottom of the third to take the lead for good. Freshman third baseman EJ Exposito led off with a double to center and later moved to third on a one-out single by senior shortstop Ben McNeill. McNeill took second on the play on a throw home from the outfield to hold Exposito at third. After an intentional walk to sophomore left fielder EJ Cumbo loaded the bases, senior catcher Ryan Kuskowski cashed in the game's first run with a single down the right-field line, but the Ravens also got the second out of the inning by throwing out McNeill at the plate. However, sophomore first baseman Kieran Dowd followed with a single to left-center to plate Cumbo.

One run in the seventh and two in the eighth provided some insurance for the Bears and created the 5-0 final. In the seventh, McNeill tripled to center leading off and scored on a sacrifice fly by Cumbo. In the eighth, Exposito -- who was 3-for-3 in the game -- drove in a run with a sacrifice fly, while another run scored via a wild pitch.

Senior left-hander Shawn Babineau (Ashland, Mass.) took the ball for the Ravens in the second game of the day and threw 71 pitches (46 strikes) over 3.2 innings of work. He allowed two runs on eight hits, walked one, hit a batter, struck out four and suffered the loss (0-1).

On the other side of the ledger, graduate student right-hander Chris Mott (1-0) threw scoreless ball over 6.2 innings and 92 pitches (58 strikes). He surrendered four hits, walked two and struck out eight.

For more information on Franklin Pierce Athletics, please visit the official website of Franklin Pierce Athletics (https://www.fpuravens.com). Also be sure to follow the Ravens through the Department of Athletics' official Facebook page (http://www.facebook.com/FranklinPierceRavens), its YouTube channel (http://www.youtube.com/franklinpiercesports) and its Twitter feed (http://twitter.com/FPUathletics). Fans wishing to purchase Franklin Pierce baseball apparel can do so at the Department of Athletics' brand new online store (https://www.shopfpuravens.com).