BOX SCORE

When and Where: February 19, 2017 – Myrtle Beach, S.C. (Ned Donkle Complex)
Score: Southern New Hampshire University 4, Lock Haven University 3 (8 Innings)
Records: SNHU 5-1, LHU 1-4 

Junior Katie Horiuchi (Livingston, N.J.) delivered an RBI single with one out and the bases loaded in the bottom of the eighth inning to lift the Southern New Hampshire University softball team to a 4-3, extra-inning, victory over Lock Haven University on Sunday at the Ned Donkle Complex in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. The Penmen, who overcame a pair of deficits against the Bald Eagles, improve to 5-1 with their fourth-straight victory.

Horiuchi finished 2-for-3 on the day with a pair of singles and two sacrifices. Classmate Brittany Perdigao (Stoughton, Mass.) was 3-for-5 out of the lead-off spot, and senior Devan Rabidou (Ashland, Mass.) had two hits in four trips to the plate with a double and an RBI.

After freshman Maddy Barone (Halifax, Mass.) tossed a scoreless eighth inning, which included stranding a runner on second base due to the international tiebreaker rule, Southern New Hampshire went right to work in the home half of the frame. Senior Nicole Gubellini (Salem, N.H.) was placed on second base to start, and she advanced to third on a one-out passed ball. Freshman Hannah Neverett (Nashua, N.H.) worked a free pass to put runners on the corners with one away before Perdigao reached on an infield single to load things up for Horiuchi. Horiuchi wasted little time in securing the victory, as she drilled a 1-0 pitch to plate Gubellini and provide the Penmen with the 4-3 win.

Jodi Weaknecht provided Lock Haven with an early 2-0 lead on a two-run home run in the top of the first, but Southern New Hampshire cut the deficit in half during the bottom of the inning. Perdigao led off with a single, and after being sacrificed to third by Horiuchi, sophomore Erin Garczynski (Norwood, Mass.) added a base hit to put runners on first and third. After freshman Erin Tyrell (Milford, N.H.) walked to load the bases, senior Jessica Torsiello (Morris Plains, N.J.) was plunked by a pitch to force in a run.

Barone worked around a pair of baserunners in the second and retired the side in order with two punch outs in the third before the Penmen knotted the score. Tyrell reached on an error to start things off in the bottom of the third before moving up to second on a fielder's choice. Rabidou fell behind in the count, 1-2, and fouled off two pitches before connecting on a run-scoring single that brought in Tyrell.

Neither side was able to generate any offense in the fourth or fifth innings, but the Bald Eagles broke the stalemate in the sixth. Jessica Strouse was hit by a pitch to start the frame before McKenna Garlock pushed her into scoring position with a sac bunt. Two batters later, Rachel Mouillesseaux doubled home the go-ahead run to reestablish the Lock Haven lead.

Southern New Hampshire answered right back in the home half of the sixth, as Neverett belted a one-out solo shot to bring the game even for the second time.

Barone improve to 2-0 in the circle for the Penmen after surrendering three runs in eight innings while striking out nine and walking just one batter. Bekah Slattery went the distance for Lock Haven, and allowed only two earned runs in 7.1 innings with six walks and six strikeouts.

Notes:
- Southern New Hampshire outhit the Bald Eagles, 9-5, and left 10 runners on base compared to the four stranded by Lock Haven.
- Neverett reached base three times on Sunday, as she homered and drew a pair of free passes.

What's Next:
The Penmen are idle until March 10 when they head to Clermont, Florida to take on Caldwell University at 3:30 p.m.

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