BOX SCORE

MANCHESTER, N.H. - A two-run single by Kyle McNiff highlighted a three-run top of the ninth for American International College as it rallied for a 5-3 Northeast-10 baseball victory over Southern New Hampshire University at Penmen Field Monday afternoon.  The Yellow Jackets improved to 8-19 and 6-10 in the NE-10, while the Penmen are now 6-22 and 4-16 in the league.

Trailing 3-2 entering the ninth, AIC would get the first two men aboard when Jeff Rustico and David Dest both walked.  Kevin Farrell would bunt the pair over with a sacrifice, then McNiff ripped a single to the gap in left-center to plate Rustico and Dest.  McNiff would later score when Dan Mooney reached on an error.

Southern New Hampshire scored all of its runs in the bottom of the first to take a 3-0 lead.  Ryan Thompson (Westford, MA) would score the first run when Jeff Giannino (Beverly, MA) was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded.  Scott Strong (Naperville, IL) would score on a fielder's choice to plate Tim Rines (Northfield, NH), while Koby Thibault (Salisbury, MA) drove in the third run when his single plated Chris O'Neil (Chelmsford, MA).

AIC would get back in the game by scoring single runs in the sixth and seventh.  In the sixth, Dan Fey (Plymouth, MA) delivered a bases-loaded single that scored Dan Bassani (Naples, FL).  Dest would make the score 3-2 when he led off the seventh with a home run to right field.

O'Neil led Southern New Hampshire with a pair of hits, while Fey had two hits for American International.  John Scanlon pitched an inning of scoreless relief in the eighth to earn the win for the Yellow Jackets, while Sean Stevenson delivered a 1-2-3 ninth to earn his third save.  Greg Lyons (Canton, MA) took the loss for SNHU, working 1.2 innings in relief of starter Bryant Gauthier (Lynn, MA).  Gauthier worked 6.2 innings and allowed five hits and a pair of runs.

Southern New Hampshire returns to action on Wednesday when it travels to Saint Michael's College for a non-league contest starting at 3:30 pm.