CARY, N.C. – No. 15 Southern New Hampshire University split a pair of non-conference baseball contests on Saturday, dropping a 4-2 decision to Dowling College in the opener, before rebounding with a 6-1 win over Molloy College in the nightcap at the USA Baseball National Training Complex.  The Penmen, who have won seven of their last eight, now stand 11-4.

Against the Lions, Southern New Hampshire jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the bottom of the first.  Brendan O'Brien (East Bridgewater, Mass.), Manny Cruz (Wolcott, Conn.) and Al Stanton (Sandwich, Mass.) all singled to lead off the game to load the bases, then Riley Palmer (Goffstown, N.H.) worked a walk to plate O'Brien.  Cruz and Stanton scored when Mike Mastroberti (Ramsey, N.J.) reached on an error, with Palmer scoring on a single by Jamie Wollerman (Hasbrouck Heights, N.J.).

The Penmen also plated single runs in the second and sixth innings.  In the second, Cruz worked a two-out walk, and after moving to second on a balk, scored on a Stanton single.  Wollerman scored in the sixth on a passed ball after reaching on a walk.

Freshman Mike Robert (Nashua, N.H.) moved to 3-0 with seven innings of work, scattering four hits while fanning five and allowing one unearned run in the third frame.  Zach Zona (Auburn, Mass.) and Benjamin Criscuolo (Branford, Conn.) each worked a hitless inning of relief, with Criscuolo notching a pair of strikeouts.

In the opener, Dowling scored single runs in each of the first three innings, with the Penmen scoring in the first and third frames to trail 3-2 after three.  The Golden Lions added an insurance run in the eighth.

SNHU tied the game 1-1 in the bottom of the first when Cruz reached on a one-out double and scored on a Palmer single.  Cruz again scored in the third as he led off with a single and scored on an error following a single by Tyler Fortanascio (Oradell, N.J.).

Cruz finished with three hits in the opener, while Palmer had a pair of hits.

Cole Warren (Bedford, N.H.) took the loss for Southern New Hampshire, allowing seven hits and three runs in six innings while striking out six.  John Pickowicz (Hill, N.H.) allowed two hits and one run over the final three innings.

Southern New Hampshire returns to action Sunday at 3:00 pm against Caldwell College at the USA Baseball complex.

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