BOX SCORE

MANCHESTER, N.H. - Southern Connecticut State University scored nine times over the final two innings to take a 10-3 victory over host Southern New Hampshire University in Northeast-10 baseball Thursday afternoon at Penmen Field.  The Owls improved to 15-14 overall and 5-5 in the NE-10 with the win, while the Penmen are now 4-20 overall and 2-14 in league play.

Tim Rines (Northfield, NH), Bill Murray (Canton, MA) and Skyler Byrd (Milford, NH) each had two hits in the game for Southern New Hampshire.  Anthony Fiorillo had four hits and four runs batted in for the Owls, who got three hits from Mike Diaz and two apiece from Andrew Babb and Nick DeProspo.

The Owls took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first when a single by Fiorillo plated Kevin Bowerman.  The Penmen tied the game in the bottom of the third when Eric Pelletier (Beverly, MA) reached on a one-out single and later scored on a single by Murray.  Southern New Hampshire tacked on two more runs and took a 3-1 lead in the bottom of the fifth when Byrd doubled to the gap in left-center, scoring Murray and Rines.

Southern Connecticut scored four times on just two hits in the eighth, taking advantage of three walks and a hit batsman as the Penmen used three pitchers in the inning.  The Owls would put the game away in the top of the ninth, tacking on five more runs on five hits, including a two-run double by Fiorillo.

Ed Bethke earned the win for Southern Connecticut, pitching the final 3.2 innings in relief of starter Justin Cox and allowing just two hits.  Cox surrendered nine hits and allowed three runs while striking out four.  Steve Golbranson (Abington, MA) took the loss for SNHU after starting the eighth in relief of starter Bryant Gauthier (Lynn, MA).  Gauther scattered seven hits in seven innings of work.

Southern New Hampshire returns to action Saturday when it travels to Saint Anselm College for a noon doubleheader.