Skip To Main Content
Skip To Main Content

Southern New Hampshire University

Southern New Hampshire University Penmen

Baseball

No. 10 Baseball Outlasts Merrimack 7-5

Box Score

NORTH ANDOVER, Mass. – The No. 10 Southern New Hampshire University baseball team salvaged the third game of the three-game season series with Merrimack College Thursday afternoon, posting a 7-5 Northeast-10 victory at Warrior Diamond.  The Penmen upped their record to 31-10 overall and 18-5 in the NE-10, while the Warriors are now 17-17 and 11-12 in the league.

Tyler Fortanascio (Oradell, N.J.) finished 2-4 at the plate and knocked in a pair of runs, while Al Stanton (Sandwich, Mass.) also had a pair of hits.  Four players had two hits apiece for Merrimack, with Matt Brown also knocking in a pair of runs.

Sam Fuller (Barre, Vt.) earned the win for the Penmen with an inning of scoreless relief, allowing one hit and notching a strikeout.  Benjamin Criscuolo (Branford, Conn.) worked the final two innings for his ninth save of the season, striking out four.  His nine saves are a program single-season record, eclipsing the eight recorded by Alex Powers in 2012 and 2013. 

SNHU starter Derrick Sylvester (Franklin, N.H.) went six innings and allowed eight hits and five runs (three earned) while notching eight strikeouts, including the 200th of his career.  He becomes the fourth pitcher in program history with at least 200 career strikeouts.

Southern New Hampshire trailed 5-4 heading into the seventh inning when it scored once in the seventh to tie the game, then twice in the eighth to take the lead.  In the seventh, Brendan O'Brien (East Bridgewater, Mass.) led off with a double, then after a Manny Cruz (Wolcott, Conn.) walk, O'Brien scored on a throwing error on a sac bunt attempt by Mike Mastroberti (Ramsey, N.J.).  The Penmen had two in scoring position with no outs, but Merrimack's Tyler Cuming worked out of the jam by recording a groundout and back-to-back strikeouts.

In the eighth, Fortanascio started the inning on an infield single and after moving over on a Bryan Toland (Wildwood, N.J.) sacrifice, scored on a single up the middle by Kyle McGinnity (Northborough, Mass.).  McGinnity made it 7-5 when he scored on a pair of errors on a ball hit by O'Brien.

Merrimack, which held 1-0 and 2-1 leads before SNHU tied the game twice, broke open the game with a three-run fourth highlighted by Brown's two-run single.  Southern New Hampshire pulled within 5-4 in the sixth when Fortanascio's two-run double brought home Stanton and Alejandro Diaz (Old Bridge, N.J.).

SNHU got on the board in the third when Toland worked a leadoff walk and scored on an error.  In the fourth, Diaz reached on a one-out single and scored on Toland's double to the gap in left-center.

Both teams had 10 hits on the afternoon, but Merrimack committed five errors.  The Warriors also stranded 13 runners on the day.

Southern New Hampshire returns to action Saturday when it hosts Stonehill College for the first two games of a pivotal Northeast-10 Northeast Division three-game set.  First pitch at Penmen Field is slated for 3:00 pm.

For the latest on Southern New Hampshire University athletics, follow the Penmen via social media on Twitter (@snhupenmen), Facebook (www.facebook.com/snhupenmen), Youtube (www.youtube.com/snhupenmen) and Instagram (www.instagram.com/snhupenmen).

Print Friendly Version

Players Mentioned

Alex Powers

#31 Alex Powers

P
6' 4"
Junior
Benjamin Criscuolo

#36 Benjamin Criscuolo

P
6' 1"
Freshman
Manny Cruz

#14 Manny Cruz

SS
5' 11"
Freshman
Alejandro Diaz

#20 Alejandro Diaz

1B
6' 1"
Junior
Tyler Fortanascio

#3 Tyler Fortanascio

C
5' 10"
Junior
Sam Fuller

#15 Sam Fuller

P
5' 10"
Junior
Mike Mastroberti

#2 Mike Mastroberti

SS
6' 1"
Junior
Kyle McGinnity

#4 Kyle McGinnity

OF
5' 7"
Junior
Brendan O

#24 Brendan O'Brien

OF
5' 10"
Senior
Al Stanton

#17 Al Stanton

OF
6' 3"
Senior
Derrick Sylvester

#32 Derrick Sylvester

P
6' 6"
Senior
Bryan Toland

#11 Bryan Toland

3B
6' 4"
Junior

Players Mentioned

Alex Powers

#31 Alex Powers

6' 4"
Junior
P
Benjamin Criscuolo

#36 Benjamin Criscuolo

6' 1"
Freshman
P
Manny Cruz

#14 Manny Cruz

5' 11"
Freshman
SS
Alejandro Diaz

#20 Alejandro Diaz

6' 1"
Junior
1B
Tyler Fortanascio

#3 Tyler Fortanascio

5' 10"
Junior
C
Sam Fuller

#15 Sam Fuller

5' 10"
Junior
P
Mike Mastroberti

#2 Mike Mastroberti

6' 1"
Junior
SS
Kyle McGinnity

#4 Kyle McGinnity

5' 7"
Junior
OF
Brendan O

#24 Brendan O'Brien

5' 10"
Senior
OF
Al Stanton

#17 Al Stanton

6' 3"
Senior
OF
Derrick Sylvester

#32 Derrick Sylvester

6' 6"
Senior
P
Bryan Toland

#11 Bryan Toland

6' 4"
Junior
3B