MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. – The Southern New Hampshire University baseball team closed out the Northeast Challenge with a 5-2 win over the University of Bridgeport at the Ripken Experience Sunday morning.  The Penmen upped their record to 3-2, while the Purple Knights are 2-2 on the season.

Brendan O'Brien (East Bridgewater, Mass.), Michael Mastroberti (Ramsey, N.J.) and Alejandro Diaz (Old Bridge, N.J.) each finished with two hits apiece for Southern New Hampshire.  O'Brien also had a pair of stolen bases.

SNHU staked itself to a 1-0 lead in the second when Bryan Toland (Wildwood, N.J.) worked a leadoff walk, and after stealing second and moving to third on a passed ball, scored on a double steal with Joseph Zanghi (Milford, Conn.).  The Penmen tacked on a run in the fifth when a Mastroberti single plated Manny Cruz (Wolcott, Conn.), who had reached on an fielders' choice.

Bridgeport tied the game with two runs in the top of the sixth, but Southern New Hampshire claimed the lead with two runs in the bottom of the seventh before adding an insurance run in the eighth.  In the seventh, a Riley Palmer (Goffstown, N.H.) double scored Cruz, while Palmer would later score on a Toland double.  Diaz scored SNHU's fifth run in the eighth when he led off with a single and scored on a two-out single by O'Brien.

Freshman Benjamin Criscuolo (Branford, Conn.) earned his first collegiate win with 2.2 innings of relief, allowing one hit while striking out three and walking two.  Penmen starter Stephen Fortuna (Metuchen, N.J.) allowed four hits and no runs in 4.2 innings of work, fanning four.

Southern New Hampshire returns to action Sunday, March 2, when it faces Chestnut Hill College in Lantana, Fla. to kick off a seven-game Florida swing.

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