GAME ONE BOX SCORE
GAME TWO BOX SCORE 

When and Where: April 5, 2017 – Springfield, Mass. (Judy Groff Field)
Game One Score: Southern New Hampshire University 9, Saint Michael's College 1 (6 innings)
Game Two Score: Saint Michael's College 5, Southern New Hampshire University 3
Records: SNHU 12-8 (1-3 Northeast-10 Conference), SMC 1-10 (1-1 Northeast-10 Conference)

Senior Jessica Torsiello (Morris Plains, N.J.) and freshman Jordan Wade (Taunton, Mass.) each collected three hits Wednesday, as the Southern New Hampshire University softball team split a Northeast-10 Conference doubleheader with Saint Michael's College at Judy Groff Field in Springfield, Massachusetts. The Penmen took the opener, 9-1 in six innings, before falling in game two, 5-3.

Torsiello finished 3-for-3 in game one and drove in four, while Wade combined to go 3-for-4 with two RBI and a walk in the twinbill. Freshman Erin Tyrell (Milford, N.H.) also had three hits against the Purple Knights and scored a pair of runs in the first game Wednesday.

Torie Rathwell led off the top half of the second inning with a solo shot to stake Saint Michael's to an early 1-0 lead, but Southern New Hampshire answered with a four-run fourth inning. Junior Katie Horiuchi (Livingston, N.J.) started the frame with a base hit to left before sophomore Erin Garczynski (Norwood, Mass.) was hit by a pitch two batters later to put a pair on with one out. After Tyrell singled to load the bases, Torsiello tagged a two-out single into right that brought in both Horiuchi and Garczynski and put the Penmen ahead, 2-1. Senior Erin Morrissey (Commack, N.Y.) followed with her own two-run base knock into right, and SNHU extended its advantage to three.

Two innings later, Torsiello helped Southern New Hampshire build on its lead. Junior Kailey March (East Taunton, Mass.) was hit by a pitch to lead things off before wade worked a free pass. Torsiello stepped in with one away and smacked a triple to center, which scored both runs, and made it 6-1 in favor of the Penmen.

After a clean sixth by freshman Maddy Barone (Halifax, Mass.), SNHU went back to work in the home half of the inning to put the game away. Horiuchi connected on a one-out double before Garczynski walked two batters later to leave runners on the corners with two outs. Tyrell laced a single into right center to bring in Horiuchi, and Wade drilled a two-run double to the gap in right center to enact the mercy rule.

Freshman Gabriella Vachon (Newton, Mass.) tossed the first three innings for Southern New Hampshire, and allowed one run on four hits while striking out two. Classmate Maddy Barone (Halifax, Mass.) toed the slab for the final three innings, and she provided hitless relief while striking out one and surrendering one walk.

In similar fashion to Wednesday's opener, Saint Michael's jumped on the board first during the top of the second in game two. After Carline Staples doubled with one out, she came around to score two batters later on a two-bagger by Danielle Markowski.

The Penmen wasted little time in responding, as they knotted the score in the bottom of the frame. Wade led off with a single to right center before Torsiello moved her into scoring position. Freshman Hannah Neverett (Nashua, N.H.) roped a one-out single into left center, which allowed Wade to score the tying run.

The stalemate would be short-lived, however, thanks to the Purple Knights' Danielle Barbato. In the ensuing half inning, Barbato tagged a two-run shot to left center to give the visitors a 3-1 lead and in the top of the seventh, she and Rathwell belted back-to-back solo shots out to left center that made it a 5-1 game heading into Southern New Hampshire's final at-bat.

The Penmen did not go quietly, and they started their rally with three consecutive Saint Michael's miscues. After a throwing error put Barone on second with one out, the Purple Knights were unable to handle a ball off the bat of Horiuchi and SNHU had runners on the corners. Junior Brittany Perdigao (Stoughton, Mass.) was the beneficiary of a muffed throw, which allowed Barone to scamper home and pushed Horiuchi to third, before she swiped second. Garczynski lifted a sacrifice fly to right to trim the deficit to a pair with two away, but it would be as close as the Penmen would come, as Saint Michael's was able to retire the final batter.

Wade finished 2-for-3 with a run scored in the finale, while Neverett, Morrissey and Barone each tallied single hits. Junior Sarah Lavallee (Candia, N.H.) suffered the setback in the circle after allowing three runs on four hits with two strikeouts in three innings. Senior Nicole Gubellini (Salem, N.H.) tossed the next 3.2 innings, and surrendered two runs while striking out four and scattering six hits. 

Notes:
- Due to inclement weather plaguing the region, Southern New Hampshire was playing in its first game since March 25. The Penmen served as the home team, but the doubleheader was played on the campus of American International College.
- Southern New Hampshire outhit the Purple Knights, 16-14, over the course of the two-game set. The Penmen played flawless defensively, while Saint Michael's committed five errors in 13 innings of action.
- After going 12-0 against the Purple Knights from 2012 through 2015, Southern New Hampshire is now 3-2 against Saint Michael's in its last five meetings.

What's Next:
The Penmen return to action and Springfield on Friday, as they head back to Judy Groff Field to take on American International College in a doubleheader scheduled to begin at 5 p.m.

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