BOX SCORE
RAPID REACTION WITH JUNIOR MITCHELL POWERS

When and Where: May 2, 2017 – Manchester, Mass. (Penmen Field)
Score: Southern New Hampshire University 3, Franklin Pierce University 1
Records: SNHU 36-7 (22-2 NE10, 17-1 NE10 NE), Franklin Pierce 28-13 (18-7 NE10, 14-5 NE10 NE)

Junior starter Mitchell Powers (Portland, Maine) turned in another stellar start and classmate Kyle Pangallo (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) delivered the big hit that would be the difference as the fourth-ranked Southern New Hampshire University baseball team completed the first-ever, three-game regular-season sweep of Franklin Pierce University and shrunk its magic number to one with a 3-1 victory Tuesday evening at Penmen Field.

Southern New Hampshire struck first in the bottom of the third with an unearned run. Senior Cam Oliveira (Tewksbury, Mass.) drew a five-pitch leadoff walk before sophomore Kyle Ruth (Albany, N.Y.) moved him up with a sacrifice bunt, but also reached himself when Franklin Pierce starter Mike Lundin could not field the ball cleanly. Graduate student Zach Goldstein (Merrick, N.Y.) then advanced both runners into scoring position with a well-placed bunt down the third base line before an RBI groundout to first from freshman Tom Blandini (Bow, N.H.) plated Oliveira with the game's first run.

Powers faced his first real tight spot in the top of the sixth after a leadoff double to the gap in left-center by Harrison Smoske and an infield single from Joe Napolitano put runners at the corners with no one out. Following a mound visit from head coach Scott Loiseau, Powers struck out Dylan Jones for the third time and then induced an inning-ending 4-6-3 double play off the bat of Adam Chase to protect the 1-0 Southern New Hampshire lead. 

SNHU grabbed some important breathing room in the sixth. With Redshirt-junior Ryan Sullivan (Hopkinton, Mass.) on first with two outs after a walk, the Ravens went to the bullpen and promptly walked redshirt-sophomore John Stanton (Sandwich, Mass.) to put a pair on. Pangallo came through by hammering a 2-2 pitch on a line to the warning track down the left field line, easily plating Sullivan with his double, while Stanton raced around from first and – despite being beaten by the throw – used a crafty slide to slap the plate ahead of the tag and make it 3-0.

Franklin Pierce finally reached Powers in the eighth. After a strikeout to begin the inning, Kyle Hood lifted a pop up toward second base. With rain and wind swirling, the second baseman, right fielder and center fielder converged, but lost track of the ball, with a wind gust blowing it out into right field where it fell for a double. Powers then struck out Smoske for out No. 2 before Napolitano stroked a run-scoring single to left. 

Powers then made quick work of the Ravens in the ninth, retiring the side with a pair of strikeouts.

Powers (4-2) allowed one run on seven hits, while striking out 12 and not walking a batter, in nine innings. 

Dueling with Powers for the third time this season, Lundin went five-and-two-thirds innings, giving up two runs – one earned – on one hit, while striking out four and walking three.

Pangallo (two RBI), Blandini (RBI) and Sullivan (run) all finished 1-for-3, while senior Derek Bauer (Millis, Mass.) went 1-for-4.

Notes:
- SNHU has now won 32 of its last 36, including 25 of 28, 22 of 24, 15 of 16 and 11 straight.
- Southern New Hampshire clinches a home game Tuesday, May 9 for the first round of the Northeast-10 Championship and also goes two full games up in the Northeast Division standings on second-place Merrimack College, who the Penmen will host for three games May 4-6. One win and SNHU will wrap up the division title and top seed for the NE10 Championship.
- This marks the first time the Penmen have ever swept Franklin Pierce in a three-game series. SNHU took two of three from the Ravens in 2013 and 2014, as well as in 1995 when both teams were members of the NECC. Southern New Hampshire also swept FPU in two-game sets in 2009 and then seven times in NECC play (1998, 1996, 1994, 1993, 1992, 1991, 1989).
- Powers has fired four straight complete games, including three of them against Franklin Pierce in less than a month. Powers went the distance, allowing two runs on seven hits, while striking out 11 and walking one, in an 8-2 win against the Ravens at home April 18 and tossed a five-hit shutout with eight strikeouts and two walks in a 1-0 triumph on April 5 in Rindge.
- During his stretch of four straight complete games, Powers is 3-1 with a 1.54 ERA and a 44-to-5 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 35 innings.
- Over his last eight appearances, which include five starts, Powers has four complete games and is 4-1 with a 1.15 ERA, allowing just 33 hits in 55 innings to hold opponents to a .172 batting average, while punching out 69 and walking just nine.

Up Next:
The Penmen return to action Thursday, May 4 (7 p.m.) when they play host to Merrimack at Penmen Field.

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