LINK:  HIGHLIGHT VIDEO

MANCHESTER N.H. – Junior Cole Warren (Bedford, N.H.) fired eight shutout innings as top-seeded Southern New Hampshire University captured its first Northeast-10 Conference baseball championship with a 2-0 win over No. 4 Southwest seed Adelphi University at Penmen Field Sunday.  The Penmen, who moved through the Championship with a 4-0 record, have won eight straight and improve to 39-12, while the Panthers likely see their season come to a close at 24-23 overall.

With the win, the Penmen, who were No. 3 in the East Region this past week, earn an automatic berth to the NCAA Division II Baseball Championship East Regional that begins Thursday.  Southern New Hampshire will learn Sunday evening at 10:00 pm if it has done enough to overtake top-ranked Franklin Pierce University and second-ranked Wilmington (Del.) University to earn the top seed in the region and hosting duties for the third straight season.  The field will be announced via selection show on NCAA.com.

Warren, who made his first appearance of more than six innings since March 15 against Dowling, scattered five hits in his eight shutout innings while striking out eight and walking four.

SNHU and Adelphi traded scoreless innings over the first four frames, despite the Panthers stranding six runners over the first five innings.  The Penmen scored both of their runs in the bottom of the fifth.  Alejandro Diaz (Old Bridge, N.J.) led off with a single, then scored as the next batter, Tyler Fortanascio (Oradell, N.J.), doubled to the gap in right-center.  After Fortanascio moved to third on a Bryan Toland (Wildwood, N.J.) single, he scored on a sac fly deep to left by Anthony Aceto (North Providence, R.I.).

In the ninth, Warren walked leadoff batter Nick Zito, prompting SNHU head coach Scott Loiseau to go to closer Benjamin Criscuolo (Branford, Conn.), who had closed out SNHU's last two wins with multi-inning saves.  After getting a groundout for the first out, Criscuolo walked Eric Hassell to give Adelphi runners at first and second.  Loiseau then brought in starter Derrick Sylvester (Franklin, N.H.) for his first relief appearance of the season.  Sylvester got Brandon Stahl to pop out and Kyle Ambury to strike out swinging to end the game.

Sylvester was named the Championship Most Valuable Player, while Criscuolo and Warren were also named to the All-Championship Team.

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Baseball teammate Ian of Team IMPACT accepted the Northeast-10 Championship trophy.