Box Score BOX SCORE
When and Where: February 25, 2018 – Myrtle Beach, S.C. (Ripken Experience)
Score: Southern New Hampshire University 8, Le Moyne College 6
Records: SNHU 5-0, Le Moyne 6-2
The 15th-ranked Southern New Hampshire University baseball team climbed out of a 5-0 hole, received six-and-two-thirds innings of one-run relief from its bullpen and collected a go-ahead RBI single in the eighth inning off the bat of junior Joshua Zbierski (Stafford Springs, Conn.), as it rallied past Le Moyne College, 8-6, Sunday, to complete its trip to Myrtle Beach, S.C., a perfect 5-0.
Trailing, 5-0, in the top of the fourth, Southern New Hampshire began the comeback, as a sacrifice fly to right field from senior Caleb Potter (Mentor, Ohio) drove in redshirt-junior John Stanton (Sandwich, Mass.), who led off the frame with a double to the gap in left-center and went to third on a base knock to left from redshirt-senior Ryan Sullivan (Hopkinton, Mass.).
The Penmen completely flipped the script in the fifth, pushing across five runs to go in front, 6-5. A triple to right-center by senior Kyle Pangallo (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) started it all, with freshman Idelson Taveras (Lawrence, Mass.) singling to center for his first career RBI. Graduate student Thomas Buonopane (Peabody, Mass.) then walked, before sophomore Tom Blandini (Bow, N.H.) continued his scorching start to the season with a two-run triple to right-center that cut the deficit to 5-4. An RBI single to center from Sullivan tied the game, while sophomore Phoenix Hernandez (Brooklyn, N.Y.) gave SNHU the lead with a run-scoring base hit to left.
Nick Place's RBI double to left-center in the sixth evened the score at 6-6, before Zbierski snapped the tie in the top of the eighth with a single that brought in Potter, who led off with a single to left, went to second on a passed ball and moved to third on Hernandez' base hit to left.
After sophomore Nick Artymowicz (Seaville, N.J.) was able to escape a bases-loaded jam with a strikeout in the bottom half of the inning, the Penmen added an insurance run in the ninth when Sullivan doubled home Blandini, who drew a leadoff walk and moved to second on Stanton's single to left.
Artymowicz slammed the door in the home half, striking out the side in order.
Justin Tuey's RBI single to center in the second put Le Moyne on the board before it reached junior starter Endy Morales (Holyoke, Mass.) for four in the third. Ben Walsh's run-scoring single to center started it before a bases-loaded walk to Brian O'Mara and a two-run single to right-center from Nicholas Jacques made it 5-0.
In his Penmen debut, Morales was charged with five runs on nine hits over two-and-a-third innings, striking out five and walking one. Sophomore Wesley Tobin (Portsmouth, N.H.), in his first appearance with SNHU, came up huge as he ate up four-and-two-thirds innings, allowing just one run on three hits, while punching out six and walking a batter, to earn the win. Redshirt-sophomore Brendan Welch (Easton, Mass.) worked two-thirds of a hitless inning, while Artymowicz collected his first save of 2018 with an inning-and-a-third of shutout baseball. He gave up a hit and a walk, fanning four.
Sullivan was 3-for-5 with two RBI and a run scored, while Stanton (run) and Hernandez (RBI), were each 2-for-5. Blandini (walk, two RBI, two runs), Zbierski (walk, RBI) and Taveras (RBI, run) all went 1-for-3.
Notes:
- Southern New Hampshire begins the season 5-0 for the second time in three years.
- The Penmen outscored their opponents, 50-30, over the five games of the trip.
Up Next:
The Penmen return to action Friday, March 2 (1 p.m.) when they travel to Shippensburg University.
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