Box Score

Owls' Coach Tim Shea Talks After The Owls Eliminate Franklin Pierce

Interview With Winning Pitcher Ryan Yerina

RINDGE, N.H. – Ryan Yerina (Trumbull, Conn.) and Michael Johnston (Thomaston, Conn.) combined on a six-hit shutout to lead the No. 8 nationally ranked Southern Connecticut State University baseball team to a 3-0 win over No. 15 nationally ranked Franklin Pierce on Saturday night in a NCAA Tournament elimination game. Yerina, making his longest start of the year, threw five scoreless innings before turning it over to Johnston, who fanned four in a career-long four innings to notch his 14th save of the season. The Owls move on to the championship round on Sunday, where they must defeat Adelphi twice in order to reach the College World Series.

Southern Connecticut is now 41-7-1 on the year, while Franklin Pierce's season comes to a close at 40-14.

The Owls broke a scoreless tie with two runs in the top of the sixth. With one out, Kyle Cummings (Hamden, Conn.) reached on an infield single. Nick DeProspo (Worcester, Mass.) then followed with a single through the left side that put two runners on.

Kyle Rosadino (Berwyn, Pa.) and Ryan Geffert (Plymouth, Pa.) then connected for RBI singles that allowed Southern Connecticut to jump out to a 2-0 edge.

Southern Connecticut added a run in the ninth. Bryan Dorsey (Cheshire, Conn.) singled to start the rally. He moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by T.K. Kiernan (Wallingford, Conn.) and came in to score when Michael Cleary (West Boylston, Mass.) reached on an error.