BOX SCORE

When and Where: April 27, 2017 – Manchester, N.H. (SNHU Softball Field)
Score: Southern New Hampshire University 6, Stonehill 5 (8 innings)
Records: SNHU 22-17 (8-11 Northeast-10 Conference), Stonehill 11-26 (9-11 Northeast-10 Conference)

The Southern New Hampshire University softball team rallied to tie the game in the sixth and then took advantage of a pair of errors in the eighth inning to overcome a three-run deficit and walk off with a 6-5 victory over Stonehill College in an important win for its postseason hopes on Thursday evening at the SNHU Softball Field.

Sophomore Erin Garczynski (Norwood, Mass.) went 2-for-3 with a walk and two RBI, while freshman Erin Tyrell (Milford, N.H.) was also 2-for-3 with an RBI and a run scored. Junior Brittany Perdigao (Stoughton, Mass.) finished 2-for-4 with a run and senior Erin Morrissey (Commack, N.Y.) went 1-for-3 with a walk and the game-winning run.

Tied at five in the bottom of the seventh, the Penmen began their winning inning when Morrissey hit a ball down the first base line that looked to be the first out of the frame. Morrissey ran hard, however, and the second baseman – covering the bag – dropped the flip from the first baseman, allowing Morrissey to reach. Tyrell followed with a single up the middle, moving Morrissey into scoring position with no outs.

Perdigao then dropped a bunt down to move the runners up, but the third baseman threw the ball into the dirt and it skipped by the first baseman, allowing Morrissey to come home and score the game-winning run.

Senior Nicole Gubellini (Salem, N.H.) earned the win to improve to 7-3 with two-and-a-third perfect innings of relief.

Southern New Hampshire began the scoring in the bottom of the third when junior Katie Horiuchi (Livingston, N.J.) hit a single up the middle to score Perdigao, who reached on a fielder's choice grounder to first in which the Penmen had a runner thrown out at the plate. Garczynski followed with a double to center to plate Horiuchi and make it 2-0.

Stonehill finally got to freshman Maddy Barone (Halifax, Mass.) in the fourth when three straight singles loaded the bases for Sophie Perez, who hit a single to center, bringing in one run before a perfect Horiuchi-to-Perdigao-to-Garczyinski relay kept the tying run from scoring. Barone would get out of the inning allowing just the one run.

Barone would not be so lucky in the sixth, however. After two quick outs, a pair of walks and an RBI single up the middle by Carly Rennie evened the game at 2-2. Julia Hartman then hit a three-run home run to center to put Stonehill in front for the first time all day, 5-2.

SNHU would answer in a big way in the bottom of the sixth as singles from freshman Hannah Neverett (Nashua, N.H.) and classmate Jordan Wade (East Taunton, Mass.) put two on with one out to begin the rally. Morrissey then reached on an error by the second baseman, allowing senior Devan Rabidou (Ashland, Mass.), who pinch ran for Neverett, to score. Tyrell followed with an infield single to score Wade and make it a one-run game before Perdigao reached on a bunt single that loaded the bases. Morrissey was then cut down at the plate on Horiuchi's grounder to short, but Garczynski would tie the game with a four-pitch walk that forced in Tyrell.

Barone was charged with five runs on nine hits, while striking out three and walking two, in five-and-two-thirds innings.

Horiuchi (RBI, run), Wade (run), Neverett and senior Jessica Torsiello (Morris Plains, N.J.) all finished 1-for-4.

Notes:
- The victory, coupled with a Saint Michael's College loss, puts the Penmen in sole possession of the fourth and final playoff spot in the NE10 Northeast Division.
- SNHU has won six of its last eight.
- Garczynski sits third in the Northeast-10 in runs batted in (33), and ranks in the top-five in hits (52, second), home runs (6, fifth) and total bases (78, second). Her .413 batting average is good enough for fourth in the league, while her .619 slugging percentage is the fourth-highest in the conference.

What's Next:
The Penmen return to action Friday (April 28) when they take on Assumption College in doubleheader action beginning at 4 p.m. on the SNHU Softball Field.

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