Blanking defending NEC champion Central Connecticut in a 1-0 series-opening victory, Franzese twirled the first 9-inning complete-game shutout in Northeast Conference play since April 29. The sophomore right-hander limited the Blue Devils to five hits and walked no one over 9.0 scoreless frames. Only two of CCSU’s five hits left the infield. After the first batter he faced singled to centerfield, Franzese recorded 15 consecutive outs without allowing another base knock. The 6-foot-2 Franzese surrendered an infield single leading off the sixth inning and gave up two more infield hits in the eighth. He ran into some trouble in the ninth inning, but retired Central’s fifth and sixth hitters to end the game. After a one-out double and an ensuing error put men on first and third for Central in the ninth, Franzese struck out JP Sportman and retired Sean Miller-Jones on a grounder to seal the 1-0 win. Franzese, who was the last NEC Pitcher to go the distance in a 9-inning shutout when he won the opener against Mount St. Mary’s on April 29, notched his third complete game in eight starts. The Akadema NEC Pitcher of the Week award changes hands from one New York City product to another. Bronx native and former standout at Fordham Prep (Bryant’s Sal Lisanti) held the honor last week, and this time it’s a Howard Beach product who played his high school ball for Archbishop Molloy.