BOX SCORE

MANCHESTER, N.H. – Southern New Hampshire University completed a two-game season sweep of UMass Lowell with a 4-3 Northeast-10 baseball victory at Penmen Field Wednesday afternoon.  The Penmen, who won their second straight, improved to 7-13 overall and 2-3 in the NE-10, while the River Hawks are now 13-11 and 2-6 in the league.

SNHU would break the game open with a pair of runs in the bottom of the sixth.  After the first three Penmen batters reached to load the bases, Kevin Spatkowski (Bristol, Conn.) would hit a shallow fly ball that allowed no advance.  The next batter, Jon Minucci (Madison, Conn.) drilled a double down the left field line that plated Curtis Burke (Bristol, R.I.), who was pinch-running for Bobby Wronski (Arlington, Mass.) and Brandon Dutch (Monroe, Conn.).

UMass Lowell would get a run back in the seventh when Jared Notargiacomo doubled to lead off the inning and scored on a groundout by Matt Jacobs.  In the eighth, the first two River Hawk batters, Jordan Silva and Luke Wallace, singled, and Wallace advanced to second on an error, to give UML two runners in scoring position with no outs.  SNHU reliever Bryant Gauthier (Lynn, Mass.) would bear down and get the next three UMass Lowell batters to strike out swinging to end the threat.

The River Hawks made it 4-3 in the top of the ninth when Jacobs scored on a single up the middle by David Smith with two away, but Brad Monroe (Hampton Falls, N.H.) got Silva to strike out swinging to end the game.

Southern New Hampshire took a 1-0 lead in the third when Brendan O'Brien (East Bridgewater, Mass.) reached on a one-out single and eventually scored on a sac fly by Eric Pelletier (Beverly, Mass.).  The River Hawks tied the game in the top of the fifth when a two-out single by Smith plated Jacobs, who drilled a one-out double to the gap in right-center.  The Penmen would reclaim the lead in the bottom of the inning when Minucci worked a leadoff walk and scored on a double to center by Thomas Quicker (West Islip, N.Y.).

Steve Golbranson (Abington, Mass.) earned the win on the hill for SNHU, going seven innings and allowing four hits while fanning four.  Golbranson retired the first 11 UMass Lowell batters he faced before surrendering a two-out single to Cam Kneeland in the fourth.  Monroe worked the ninth for his second save of the season.  Dan White took the loss, working five-plus innings and allowing six hits and all four Penmen runs.

Jacobs and Smith each finished with a pair of hits for UMass Lowell as the River Hawks outhit the Penmen 8-7.  Smith also drove in a pair of runs.  Quicker led the Penmen with two hits.

Southern New Hampshire returns to action Friday when it entertains Saint Michael's College for a 1:00 non-league doubleheader at Penmen Field.