BOX SCORE

When and Where: March 28, 2018 – Rindge, N.H. (Pappas Field)
Score: Southern New Hampshire University 9, Franklin Pierce University 3
Records: SNHU 11-9 (1-2 NE10, 1-0 NE10 NE), FPU 13-8-1 (3-2 NE10, 0-1 NE10 NE)

Freshman Dakota Mulcay (Goffstown, N.H.) and redshirt-junior John Stanton (Sandwich, Mass.) each hit home runs Wednesday to lead the Southern New Hampshire University baseball team to a 9-3 victory over in-state rival Franklin Pierce University at Pappas Field.

Southern New Hampshire moved out to a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning, as sophomore Tom Blandini (Bow, N.H.) led off the game with a single to left-center, moved to second on a sacrifice bunt from graduate student Thomas Buonopane (Peabody, Mass.) and scored on an RBI single that was driven through the left side by redshirt-senior Ryan Sullivan (Hopkinton, Mass.).

The Penmen added two more in the second, as a single from freshman Sam Henrie (Middleboro, Mass.), a double by senior Kyle Pangallo (Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.) and a walk to redshirt-sophomore Joshua Goldstein (Haverhill, Mass.) loaded the bases with no outs. Blandini plated the first run with a sac fly to left before Goldstein later scored to make it 3-0 when Sullivan reached on a two-out error.

SNHU continued to pour it on in the third when senior Caleb Potter (Mentor, Ohio) drew an eight-pitch walk to begin the frame and Mulcay followed two pitches later by crushing a 2-0 offering over the fence in right-center to stretch the lead to 5-0. The Penmen then took advantage of a pair of errors, including another back-breaker with two outs on a bouncer to third by Sullivan that scored two to widen the margin to 7-0.

Franklin Pierce reached senior Mitchell Powers (Portland, Maine) in the home half when, after two quick outs, Adam Chase tripled to left-center and scored on John Friday's double down the right field line. The Ravens added another in the fourth on Stephen Octave's lead-off homer that chipped away the deficit to five at 7-2.

FPU pulled closer in the fifth, as Jack Duffy led off with a triple to left-center and scored two pitches later on Brad Roberto's single up the middle. With runners on first and second with one out, Powers escaped the threat on a slick 1-6-3 inning-ending double play.

Stanton made it 8-3 in the sixth, blasting a solo shot to left that made it out of the yard in a hurry on the first pitch he saw. Stanton then drove in another run in the seventh, as he was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded, following a Pangallo single and walks to Buonopane and Sullivan.

Powers (2-2) allowed three runs on nine hits, while striking out six and walking one, over seven innings. Redshirt-sophomore Brendan Welch (Easton, Mass.) gave up one hit in a scoreless eighth. Redshirt-junior Jake Walkinshaw (Seymour, Conn.), after not pitching since March 18, 2017 due to an injury, relinquished just one hit in a shutout ninth inning.

Mulcay (two RBI, run), Stanton (two RBI, run) and Pangallo (two runs) were all 2-for-5, while Henrie finished 2-for-4 with a walk and a pair of runs scored. Blandini went 1-for-4 with a walk, RBI and run scored.

Notes:
- The win snaps a three-game losing skid and gets the Penmen off on the right foot in the NE10 Northeast Division.
- The home run for Mulcay was his second of the season and second in as many games. Stanton's long-ball was his third of the year and eighth of his career.

Up Next:
The Penmen return to action Friday, March 30 (3:30 p.m.) when they take on Bentley University.

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