Box Score BOX SCORE
RAPID REACTION WITH REDSHIRT-JUNIOR JAKE STEARNS
When and Where: April 13, 2017 – Manchester, N.H. (Penmen Field)
Score: Southern New Hampshire University 3, University of Bridgeport 2
Records: SNHU 23-6, Bridgeport 13-14
Redshirt-junior Jake Stearns (Plymouth, Mass.) allowed just two runs in a complete-game effort as the sixth-ranked Southern New Hampshire University baseball team edged out the University of Bridgeport, 3-2, Thursday afternoon at Penmen Field.
Southern New Hampshire broke a scoreless tie in the bottom of the third as junior Kyle Pangallo (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) led off with a single to center, stole second and then scored on a base knock to center by freshman Tom Blandini (Bow, N.H.) that made it 1-0. Redshirt-sophomore John Stanton (Sandwich, Mass.) walked and senior Derek Bauer (Millis, Mass.) was hit by a pitch to load the bases with two outs, but Bridgeport third baseman Casey McCone made a nice diving stop on a hard-hit ball to third by redshirt-junior Ryan Sullivan (Hopkinton, Mass.) that ended the inning.
Bridgeport pulled even in the sixth when Daren Grabowski walked, was sacrificed to second by Tyler Gambardella and scored on Cam Overbaugh's RBI double to left.
The Penmen went ahead as they scraped across two big runs in the eighth. Walks to Bauer and Sullivan, sandwiched around an infield single on a ball Stanton hit in the hole at short, loaded the bases with one out before junior Caleb Potter (Mentor, Ohio) delivered a sac fly to left that scored a sliding Stanton just ahead of the tag. With runners then at first and third, SNHU used a delayed double-steal to grab a crucial insurance run.
Back-to-back singles to begin the ninth for Bridgeport put two on with no one out. Zach Burger then hit a liner that was snared by Stearns, who quickly threw to first for the double play. After a McCone double down the right field line trimmed the lead to 3-2, Stearns was able to secure the win with a fly ball to center.
Stearns (3-0) allowed two runs on six hits, while striking out six and walking one, over nine innings.
Stanton was 1-for-2 with a pair of walks and a run scored, while Blandini (walk, RBI) and Pangallo (run) were each 1-for-3.
Bridgeport starter Denis Lyman gave up just one run on two hits in six innings of work, while fanning eight and walking five.
Notes:
- SNHU has now won 19 of its last 22, including 12 of 14 and nine of 10.
- In his last two starts, Stearns is 2-0 with a 1.69 ERA over 16 innings, striking out 14 and walking just one.
- The three hits for Southern New Hampshire matches its season low. The Penmen also had three hits in a 6-5 win against Bridgeport on Feb. 26, in a 1-0 loss to Saint Thomas Aquinas College on March 18 and a 1-0 victory at Franklin Pierce on April 15.
- Graduate student Zach Goldstein (Merrick, N.Y.) finished the day 0-for-3 with three strikeouts. How rare is it for him to punch out three times in a game? Goldstein, who entered the day as the 25th toughest player to strike out in all of Division II with a K every 18.2 at bats, had only previously gone down on strikes three times twice in 152 career games and had not done so since May 11, 2015 at Stonehill College.
Up Next:
The Penmen return to action Saturday, April 15 (12/3 p.m.) when they take on Stonehill College in doubleheader action. The next home game for SNHU is Tuesday, April 18 (6 p.m.) when it plays host to in-state rival Franklin Pierce University at Penmen Field.
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