Andrew Quinn, Trevor Lawson key Greyhound baseball past Franklin Pierce, 4-3, in N.C.A.A. regional opener

Assumption 4, Franklin Pierce 3

RINDGE, NH --- In a classic pitching matchup between the team's top starters and the rain, fifth-seeded Assumption College and second-seeded Franklin Pierce University opened play THURSDAY in the 2009 N.C.A.A. Division II East Regional here at Pappas Field on the campus of Franklin Pierce.

The rain played a major role in the game. First pitch was scheduled at 2:30 p.m however it was 4:02 p.m. when the game started. The teams "weathered" a three-hour rain delay from 6:25 to 9:25 p.m. Unofficially, the "longest" game time in Greyhound history!

The Greyhounds with two unlikely heroes, junior lefthander ANDREW QUINN (Taunton, MA/Coyle Cassidy) and freshman shortstop TREVOR LAWSON (North Easton, MA/Oliver Ames) (pictured right) edged the Ravens, 4-3, to win a game that took nearly seven hours to play.

Quinn pitched two scoreless innings after the long rain delay with five strikeouts (the No. 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7 hitters), while Lawson had three hits and two RBI including the game-winning RBI single in the eighth inning. Sophomore designated hitter WALLY DEROSIER(Worcester, MA/Holy Name) led the inning with a triple to centerfield and Lawson singled him home two pitches later.

In first game of the day, six-seeded Wilmington, DE upset top-seeded Dominican, NY, 10-1.

The one and only previous win in Greyhound postseason baseball had come 27 years and a day ago when they defeated L.I.U.-C.W. Post (3-0) behind righthander John Longo (Hopedale, MA) in Syracuse, NY on May 13, 1982.

Franklin Pierce junior righthander KYLE VAZQUEZ (Berlin, CT/Berlin) entered the game with an 8-1 record and a 1.77 earned run average with 103 strike outs in 86.1 innings, while Greyhound starter, senior righthander JEFF BARBALE (Charlton, MA/Saint Peter Marian), was 8-2 with a 4.16 earned run average and 45 strikeouts in 75.2 innings. Both lasted seven strong innings with Barbale surrendering six hits with four strikeouts and just one earned run, while Vazquex fanned scattered nine hits and had nine strikeouts in his stint. Barbale, with the victory, became only the third pitcher in Greyhound history to win nine or more games (9-3) in a single season joining fellow righthanders George Constantin (9-1 in 1917) and Jeff Gull (10-3 in 1990).

The Ravens struck quickly as sophomore designated hitter DEREK INGUI (Sterling, MA/Wachusett) singled to leftcenter, moved to third on an error and scored on an infield roller. Barbale would then retire 12 straight before the Ravens would get another run in the fourth inning.

The Greyhounds scored twice in the second inning to take a 2-1 advantage. Junior first baseman TIM SCAFIDI (Worcester, MA/Burncoat) led with a single back through the box into centerfield and after his first career stolen base scored on a bloop single by Lawson into leftcenter. Lawson came home as sophomore leftfielder JOSH DUFRESNE (Auburn, MA/Auburn) singled to left.

The Ravens tied the game in the fourth inning as senior first baseman STEVE CARR (Nahant, MA/Saint Mary's) doubled home postgraduate centerfielder CLIFF HICKS (Merrimack, NH/Merrimack) who opened with a single and promptly stole second base.

In the fifth inning, the Greyhounds got a single run to again take the lead (3-2) as senior second baseman MIKE BAILLARGEON (Worcester, MA/Holy Name) led with a single to left centerfield and scored as junior centerfielder DEREK MIGRANTS (Ayer, MA/Ayer) doubled off the wall in rightcenter. The hit extended Migrants' current hit streak to 12 straight games and the RBI, his 61st, broke the Greyhound single-season record (60) set by Dan McGowan in 2000. The hit was Baillargeon's 82nd of the season breaking his own single-season record (81) set last season.

And, just before the long rain delay in the seventh inning Carr doubled and scored on an error to again tie the score at 3-3 setting the stage for Quinn and Lawson.

Franklin Pierce (now 37-17) will play FRIDAY against Dominican, NY (37-13) at 1 p.m., while Assumption (now 33-19-1) plays the winner of Adelphi-Dowling at 7 p.m. The times of the games have been moved back to allow third-seeded Adelphi (31-14) to play fourth-seeded Dowling (30-15) beginning at 10 a.m. That game was originally scheduled for 6 p.m. THURSDAY. The double-elimination tournament continues through Sunday.

Click here for ASSUMPTION-FRANKLIN PIERCE box score