BOX SCORE

When and Where: May 4, 2017 – Manchester, N.H. (Penmen Field)
Score: Southern New Hampshire University 6, Merrimack College 2
Records: SNHU 37-7 (23-2 NE10, 18-1 NE10 NE), Merrimack 23-18 (17-6 NE10, 15-4 NE10 NE)

Redshirt-sophomore John Stanton (Sandwich, Mass.) homered to back another solid outing from redshirt-junior Jake Stearns (Plymouth, Mass.) as the fourth-ranked Southern New Hampshire University baseball team collected its first outright Northeast-10 Regular-Season Championship, as well as the top seed for the upcoming NE10 Championship, with a 6-2 victory against Merrimack College on Thursday night at Penmen Field.

Southern New Hampshire grabbed the game's first run in the bottom of the second as junior Caleb Potter (Mentor, Ohio) and Stanton reached on infield singles before sophomore Kyle Ruth (Albany, N.Y.) drew a two-out walk to load the bases for junior Sean Webster (Boston, Mass.), who slashed a single through the right side to plate Potter. Stanton was narrowly thrown out at the plate after a strong throw from right fielder Matt Nicholson. 

Merrimack evened the score in the fourth as Matthew Ronai dropped down a squeeze bunt that brought in Joey Porricelli, who led off the frame with a single to center.

SNHU went back in front in the home half as walks to Stanton and sophomore Joshua Zbierski (Stafford Springs, Conn.) put a pair on for Ruth, who shot a double down the left field line to score both runs and make it 3-1. 

The Warriors chopped that lead in half in the fifth when Paul Buckley hammered a 2-0 pitch from Stearns to left-center for a solo home run that trimmed the deficit to 3-2.

Stanton added some insurance for the Penmen in the sixth when he drilled a one-out payoff pitch into the night and over the left-center field fence for a solo shot that nudged the advantage to 4-2 and ended the outing of Merrimack starter PJ Browne. 

Southern New Hampshire tacked on a pair of runs in the seventh. Webster led off by reaching on a throwing error by the third baseman, moved to second on a walk to graduate student Zach Goldstein (Merrick, N.Y.), advanced to third on a bunt single past the pitcher from junior Kyle Pangallo (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) and scored on a bases-loaded sac fly to deep center off the bat of redshirt-junior Ryan Sullivan (Hopkinton, Mass.). Potter then brought in Goldstein with an infield single to short to extend the lead to 6-2.

Stearns allowed a base runner in both the eighth and ninth innings, but Merrimack never threatened again. 

Stearns (6-0) went the distance for the third time in his last four starts as he allowed two runs on six hits, striking out nine and walking just two.

Potter went 2-for-4 with an RBI and run, while Stanton (walk, RBI,  two runs), Ruth (walk, two RBI), Sullivan (RBI) and Pangallo were all 1-for-3. Webster was 1-for-4 with an RBI and run scored.

Notes:
- SNHU has now won 33 of its last 37, including 26 of 29, 23 of 25, 16 of 17 and 12 straight.
- Southern New Hampshire captures its first outright NE10 Regular-Season Championship in program history, while it is the No. 1 seed for the second time. SNHU shared the Northeast Division crown and earned the top seed in 2014.
- The clinching win locks in the Nos. 1 and 4 seeds in the Northeast Division for the NE10 Championship. The Penmen will host a first round home game Tuesday, May 9 against Bentley University, which claimed its No. 4 seed by virtue of a 3-2 win against Assumption College on Thursday afternoon, officially eliminating Stonehill College from playoff contention.
- Merrimack needs to win its last two regular-season contests against SNHU in order to secure the No. 2 seed and a first round home game against Franklin Pierce University. One loss to the Penmen and the Warriors will head to Franklin Pierce as the No. 3 seed.
- SNHU, which improves to 11-1 at home this season, is now 54-11 at Penmen Field since the start of the 2014 season. The Penmen have not been beaten at home in a nine-inning regulation game since April 30, 2016.
- In his last five outings, which include three complete games, Stearns is 5-0 with a 1.76 ERA over 41 innings, allowing 26 hits to hold opponents to a .183 average, while striking out 35 and walking just three.
- Before issuing a free pass in the eighth inning, Stearns had not walked a batter in his last 27-and-a-third innings.
- Stanton's home run was his third of the season.

Up Next:
The Penmen return to action Saturday, May 6 when they wrap up the regular season with a doubleheader against Merrimack that begins at 3 p.m. at Penmen Field. SNHU will be honoring its senior class, as well as raising awareness for pancreatic cancer. Donations, on behalf of the team, can be made at snhupenmen.com/pancan.

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