BOX SCORE

MANCHESTER, N.H. - The Southern New Hampshire University baseball team used a six-run seventh inning en route to a 9-2 Northeast-10 win over Merrimack College at Penmen Field Wednesday afternoon.  The Penmen won their second straight game to improve to 10-15-1 overall and 7-7-1 in the NE-10, while the Warriors are now 10-13 and 1-8 in the league.

SNHU and Merrimack were tied 2-2 heading into the seventh.  Scott Strong (Naperville,IL) would reach on an error with one out, then the next batter, Tim Rines (Merrimack, NH) would walk.  After an out, Skyler Byrd (Milford, NH) would single to right to plate Strong, then Rines and Byrd would score on a double by Chris O'Neil (Chelmsford, MA).

After Merrimack switched pitchers, the next batter, Jeff Giannino (Beverly, MA) would homer to left-center to make it a 7-2 game.  Koby Thibault (Salisbury, MA) would triple and eventually score on a wild pitch.

SNHU jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the top of the first when Strong reached on an error then scored from third when an attempt to throw out Rines stealing second sailed into the outfield.  Merrimack would tie the game in the fourth when a groundout by Mike Andre plated Tim Curran, who led off with a single.  Thibault would give the Penmen a 2-1 lead in the bottom of the fourth when his single scored O'Neil, but the Warriors would again tie it in the fifth when Ray Walker led off with a single and scored on a single by Steve Buitkus.

The Penmen would score their final run in the eighth when a sacrifice fly by Byrd brought home Rines, who worked a one-out walk.

Thibault was 4-4 at the plate to lead Southern New Hampshire as it outhit Merrimack 12-10.  Rines, O'Neil and Giannino each had two hits.  Brad Monroe (Hampton Falls, NH) earned the win for the Penmen on the mound, going seven innings and scattering eight hits while fanning two.

Southern New Hampshire returns to action on Thursday when it travels to Pace for a 3:30 game.