BOX SCORE

When and Where: February 24, 2017 – Myrtle Beach, S.C. (Ripken Experience)
Score: Southern New Hampshire University 7, Mercy College 1
Records: SNHU 1-1, Mercy 1-1

Junior Jake Walkinshaw (Seymour, Conn.) fired eight innings and allowed just one run as the sixth-ranked Southern New Hampshire University baseball team rebounded from a loss in its season opener to beat Mercy College, 7-1, Friday in Myrtle Beach, S.C.

Walkinshaw worked out of trouble in the opening inning as two Mavericks reached before an out was recorded, but the flame-throwing righty recorded two punch outs and fielded a grounder back to the mound to get out of it. 

Walkinshaw then settled in, striking out the side in the second before receiving some run support from the Penmen offense in the top of the third. With two outs, junior Kyle Pangallo (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) reached when he was hit by a pitch and graduate student Zach Goldstein (Merrick, N.Y.) followed with a ball he scorched past the diving right fielder for a two-run inside-the-park home run that made it 2-0.

Walkinshaw posted another 1-2-3 inning in the bottom of the frame, but Mercy grabbed a run back in the fourth on a leadoff home run from Randal Mendez to trim the deficit to 2-1. 

Southern New Hampshire regained its two-run lead in the fifth when junior Sean Webster (Boston, Mass.) reached on a fielder's choice for the inning's second out, stole second base and then scored when Goldstein delivered an RBI single to center to bump the lead to 3-1.

Walkinshaw collected his third three-up, three-down frame of the afternoon in the fifth, holding Mercy at bay to set up a big three-run sixth for SNHU. Senior Derek Bauer (Millis, Mass.) led off with a base hit and scored on double by junior Caleb Potter (Mentor, Ohio) before redshirt-sophomore John Stanton (Sandwich, Mass.) mashed a two-run homer that made it 6-1. 

Mercy again put two on with no one out in the home half of the inning, but again Walkinshaw slithered out of it, inducing a 5-3 double play and wrapping the frame on another strikeout.

After the Penmen left them loaded in the seventh, Walkinshaw registered 1-2-3 inning No. 4 after the stretch. SNHU tacked on the final run in the eighth as a pair of errors and some heads-up base running from freshman Tom Blandini (Bow, N.H.) nudged the advantage to 7-1.

Walkinshaw worked around a walk in his final inning of work before giving way to freshman Zachary Merchant (Lunenburg, Mass.), who tossed a 1-2-3 ninth.

Walkinshaw (1-0) allowed one run on just three hits, while striking out 11 and walking one over his eight innings of work.

Goldstein went 2-for-4 with a walk, a run and three RBI. Potter was 3-for-4 with a walk, a run and an RBI, while Webster finished 2-for-5 with a run scored and his fourth stolen base of the season. Bauer (walk, run) and sophomore Robert Fulkerson (Anaheim, Calif.) were both 1-for-4. Stanton was 1-for-5 with a run scored and two RBI.

Notes:
- This was the first start of Walkinshaw's career after going 7-1 with 13 saves and a 1.75 ERA in 72 innings out of the bullpen during his first two years with Southern New Hampshire.
-Goldstein has recorded a hit in 18 straight games dating back to last season.

Up Next:
The Penmen are back in action Saturday, February 25 for doubleheader action as they take on Queens (N.Y.) College at 1 p.m. before a rematch with Mercy at 4 p.m.

For the latest on Southern New Hampshire University athletics, follow the Penmen via social media on Twitter, Facebook, Youtube and Instagram. Sign up to receive text message alerts and e-mail newsletters about your favorite Penmen teams here.