Box Score BOX SCORE
When and Where: May 3, 2016 – Manchester, N.H. (Penmen Field)
Score: Southern New Hampshire University 10, Saint Michael's College 5
Records: SNHU 41-5 (26-3 NE-10, 18-3 NE-10 NE), Saint Michael's 5-26 (4-15 NE-10, 4-14 NE-10 NE)
Junior Derek Bauer (Millis, Mass.) was on base four times, homered, and knocked in two runs, while sophomore Justin Valdespina (Garfield, N.J.) did not allow an earned run over seven innings, to lead the ninth-ranked Southern New Hampshire University baseball team to a 10-5 victory against Saint Michael's College in the regular-season home finale at Penmen Field on Tuesday as the team played its #strikeoutALS game to raise awareness for ALS.
The Penmen went ahead, 1-0, with an unearned run in the second as graduate student Ryan Gendron (Nashua, N.H.) led off with a single to center, went to third when junior Cam Oliveira (Tewksbury, Mass.) reached on an error and scored on a 6-4-3 double play.
Southern New Hampshire hung a four-spot in the third when it began the inning with five straight singles, including RBI knocks from grad student Mike Mastroberti (Ramsey, N.J.), junior Carson Helms (Farmington, Conn.), and Bauer. A sacrifice fly to right from Oliveira later in the inning made it 5-0.
SNHU nudged the lead to 6-0 in the fourth when sophomore Sean Webster (Boston, Mass.) ripped an 0-2 pitch to the gap in left-center for a leadoff double, went to third when junior Zach Goldstein (Merrick, N.Y.) jumped aboard on an error and scored on a 6-3 double play.
Bauer made it a 7-0 game in the fifth when he ripped a lined shot over the fence in right-center for his ninth home run of the season. Oliveira followed two batters later with a bomb to left-center for the first home run of his career.
Saint Michael's finally got to Valdespina in the sixth as it scored three unearned runs with the help of an error and three walks.
Goldstein's RBI single up the middle in the seventh stretched the lead to 9-3 before Saint Michael's scraped across its fourth run of the night on a wild pitch. SNHU made it an even 10 runs in the eighth when Helms led off with a skyscraper triple off the bottom of the wall in left and scored on a double steal. Doubles from Nick Addona and Steven Auger produced another run for the Purple Knights in the ninth.
Valdespina (8-3, 2.65 ERA) gave up three runs – zero earned – on four hits while striking out a career-high 12 and walking three, over seven innings. Freshman Connor Gavin (E. Bridgewater, Mass.) allowed one run on one hit, striking out one and walking a batter in an inning of work. Senior Ian Searles (Wareham, Mass.) struck out the side in his one inning on the bump, but relinquished a run on two hits.
Bauer finished 2-for-3 with a pair of walks, two RBI, and a run scored. Mastroberti was 3-for-5 with an RBI and a run, while Goldstein went 2-for-4 with an RBI and a run. Helms batted 2-for-5 with an RBI and two runs, with fellow junior Manny Cruz (Wolcott, Conn.) going 1-for-3 with two walks and a run. Webster was 1-for-2 with two walks and a pair of runs scored, while Oliveira went 1-for-4 with two RBI and a run.
Notes:
- Southern New Hampshire, which has won 27 of its last 30 and 23 of 25, is still on pace for its best record ever at 41-5. The 2012 squad that advanced to the Division II College World Series in Cary, N.C., was 35-11 through its first 46 games.
- The 41 victories match the 2014 team for the second-highest win total in a single season.
- Bauer, who is tied for the Northeast-10 lead in RBI (56) and is third in home runs (9), has driven in at least one run in 14 straight games, totaling 29 RBI during that stretch.
- Gavin had the scoreless streak to begin his career halted at 12-and-two-thirds innings in his 13th appearance.
- Mastroberti has a hit in 18 of his last 19 contests, while Goldstein has hit safely in 14 of 15.
- In addition to wearing wristbands for their #strikeoutALS game, the Penmen welcomed back former pitcher Kyle Thomas, who threw out the ceremonial first pitch with his father, Glen, looking on. Glen was recently diagnosed with ALS.
Up Next:
The Penmen will be hosting a Northeast-10 Championship first-round matchup at Penmen Field on Tuesday, May 10 (6 p.m.)
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