VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS

MANCHESTER N.H. – A seven-run first inning led by a two-run home run by senior Al Stanton (Sandwich, Mass.) propelled top-seeded Southern New Hampshire University to a 9-3 win over No. 6 seed Felician College in the opening round of the 2014 NCAA Division II Baseball Championship East Regional Thursday at Penmen Field.  SNHU has won eight straight and upped its record to 40-12 on the season, while the Golden Falcons are now 29-19.

SNHU returns to action Friday at 1:00 pm when it faces the loser of Thursday's nightcap between third-seeded Wilmington (Del.) University and No. 4 seed St. Thomas Aquinas College.  Felician will play in an elimination game Friday at 10:00 am against either No. 2 Franklin Pierce or No. 5 Dowling.

Brendan O'Brien (East Bridgewater, Mass.) led the Penmen with his 3-5 effort at the plate while driving in four runs and also stealing three bases, giving him 50 on the season.  Bryan Toland (Wildwood, N.J.) went 2-3 with two runs scored and delivered a two-run double in the first inning, while Manny Cruz (Wolcott, Conn.), Alejandro Diaz (Old Bridge, N.J.) and Tyler Fortanascio (Oradell, N.J.) all finished with two hits apiece.  Joe Petosa led Felician with a 3-4 effort at the plate.

Senior Derrick Sylvester (Franklin, N.H.) upped his record to 9-2 on the season, allowing seven hits and three runs (two earned) while fanning eight and walking two in his seven innings of work.  In the process, he became Southern New Hampshire's all-time leader in career victories with 20, passing the 19 recorded by Mark Perec from 1996-99.

After Sylvester struck out the side in the top of the first, SNHU gave him all the run support he would need in the bottom half of the frame.  Cruz singled with one away, then Stanton belted his fourth home run of the season down the left field line to give the Penmen an early 2-0 cushion.  After a flyout, Mike Mastroberti (Ramsey, N.J.) doubled, followed by a Diaz single to make it 3-0.  After Fortanascio reached on an error, Toland doubled to bring in Diaz and Fortanascio.  Anthony Aceto (North Providence, R.I.) reached on an infield single to give the Penmen runners at the corners, before O'Brien singled through the left side in his second at-bat of the frame to make it 7-0.

Felician got a run back in the fourth and two more in the fifth.  In the fourth, a Jordan Tackett sac fly to right plated Petosa after Petosa reached on an infield single with one away.  In the fifth, a Scott De Jong sac fly scored Gabriel Fellin, while a Petosa single up the middle plated Aaron Brill.

SNHU added a pair of insurance runs in the bottom of the seventh.  Fortanascio led off the inning with a single, followed by Toland's second double of the afternoon to give the Penmen two in scoring position with on one away.  After a strikeout, O'Brien singled through the right side to make it a 9-3 game.

Sam Fuller (Barre, Vt.) and Joe McCarthy (Nashua, N.H.) each tossed 1-2-3 innings of relief to close out the victory.

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Derrick Sylvester became SNHU's all-time win leader with his ninth win of the season Thursday.  The senior
is 9-2 in 2014 and 20-7 over his four years.