GAME 1 BOX SCORE | GAME 2 BOX SCORE

When and Where: April 8, 2018 – Hooksett, N.H. (Penmen Field)
Game 1 Score: American International College 4, Southern New Hampshire University 3
Game 2 Score: Southern New Hampshire University 9, American International College 4
Records: SNHU 17-11 (5-4 NE10), AIC 13-16 (4-8 NE10)

Freshman Dakota Mulcay (Goffstown, N.H.) and senior Kyle Pangallo (Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.) were each 2-for-3 and accounted for four runs in a 9-4 win in game two, as the Southern New Hampshire University baseball team salvaged a doubleheader with American International College on Sunday at Penmen Field. The Penmen were edged, 4-3, in the first game, before earning the split.

Mulcay finished the doubleheader 3-for-7 with a walk, home run, three RBI and pair of runs scored. Sophomore Tom Blandini (Bow, N.H.) put together a nice day, going 5-for-9 with a run scored.

Southern New Hampshire grabbed a 1-0 lead in game two when Mulcay led off the second by driving a 3-1 offering deep over the fence in right.

Redshirt-senior Jake Stearns (Plymouth, Mass.), in his first start of the season made it into the fourth inning, before giving way to the bullpen. Freshman Jordan Allard (Hartford, Vt.) finished off the fourth, but ran into trouble in the fifth, as Josh Aviles led off with an infield single, moved to second on a sacrifice bunt, went to third on a passed ball and scored on Matt Costanza's single through the right side. After a double put a pair in scoring position, sophomore Nick Artymowicz (Seaville, N.J.) came on and induced back-to-back groundouts to first – with the initial one driving in a run – to close out the inning.

SNHU answered in the bottom half of the fifth, with sophomore Jake Coro (Johnstown, R.I.) leading off by getting hit with a pitch, before a single through the right side from redshirt-senior Ryan Sullivan (Hopkinton, Mass.) put runners at the corners with no one out. Redshirt-junior John Stanton (Sandwich, Mass.) then followed with a shallow pop up into right field, with the second baseman going out to make the catch. Graduate student Thomas Buonopane (Peabody, Mass.), who had pinch run for Coro, raced home and drew a bad throw to the plate to tie the game and allow Sullivan to move into scoring position.

Following a walk to Mulcay, senior Caleb Potter (Mentor, Ohio) hammered a single through the left side to plate Sullivan and put the Penmen in front, 3-2. Pangallo then delivered a two-run single through the right side and moved up to second on the throw to the plate. After swiping third, Pangallo scored when redshirt-sophomore Joshua Goldstein (Haverhill, Mass.) walked and drew an errant throw on a pick-off attempt.

Matt Krause's RBI single in the seventh pulled AIC to within 6-3, but a two-out, two-run, pinch-hit double to the gap in left-center by sophomore Ethan Harris (Middleton, Mass.) in the home half stretched the Penmen lead to 8-3.

Southern New Hampshire tacked on another in the eighth as Stanton led off with an infield single, stole second, went to third on a fly ball to right and scored when freshman Idelson Taveras (Lawrence, Mass.) reached on an error by the pitcher.

The Yellow Jackets scored an unearned run in the ninth on a wild pitch to cap the scoring.

Mulcay (walk, RBI, two runs) and Pangallo (two walks, two RBI, two runs) were each 2-for-3, while Blandini went 2-for-5. Sullivan was 2-for-4 with a walk and a run scored, with Stanton and Potter each going 1-for-4 with an RBI and a run.

Stearns spun three-and-a-third shutout innings, allowing three hits, while striking out four and not walking a batter. Allard relinquished two runs on three hits and recorded a strikeout in an inning of work. Artymowicz (2-0) retired both batters he faced in the fifth to earn the victory. Junior Matthew Messier (No. Troy, Vt.) ate up three important innings, giving up a run on three hits and striking out four. Redshirt-junior Cameron Scotia (Dudley, Mass.) also struck out four and walked one, allowing an unearned run in one inning of work. 

Junior Endy Morales (Holyoke, Mass.) cruised through the first three innings of game one and recorded two quick outs in the fourth before issuing a pair of walks and allowing an infield single to load the bases. Morales then went to a full count with Brendan Carter before throwing a good pitch on the outside corner that was called a ball and allowed a run to come in.

The Penmen responded in the bottom half, as singles from Blandini and redshirt-junior Taylor Olmstead (Greenwich, Conn.), followed by a sac bunt from Sullivan, put a pair in scoring position with one out. The Yellow Jackets then intentionally walked Stanton to load the bases, but Mulcay made them pay with a two-run single that put SNHU up, 2-1.

AIC leapfrogged back in front in the fifth, with RBI singles from Matthew Elliott and Will Johnson making it 3-2 and ending Morales' outing. Back-to-back passed balls later in the inning, however, would enable an insurance run to score, making it 4-2.

Southern New Hampshire grabbed one back in the bottom of the frame, as consecutive one-out singles from Goldstein and Blandini put a pair on. Olmstead then hit into what looked to be an inning-ending 5-4-3 double play, but the first baseman could not hold on to the ball and Goldstein scored to trim the deficit to 4-3. 

The Penmen would really only threaten again in the seventh when Blandini doubled, but was stranded at second. 

Blandini was 3-for-4 with a run scored, while Olmstead and Goldstein each finished 1-for-3 with a run. Mulcay was 1-for-4 with a pair of RBI. 

Morales (2-2) was charged with four runs – three earned – on seven hits (mostly bloops, bleeders and broken bats), while striking out four and walking four. Junior Hayden Manning (Portland, Conn.) struck out six and walked two in two-and-a-third hitless innings. Sophomore Wesley Tobin (Portsmouth, N.H.) gave up three hits in a scoreless inning of work, while redshirt-sophomore Brendan Welch (Easton, Mass.) fanned a pair and was perfect over an inning-and-a-third. 

Notes:
- The Penmen have now won seven of nine, but saw their four-game winning streak come to an end. 
- Southern New Hampshire, which was 30-6 all-time against the Yellow Jackets entering the day, is now 4-1 at home this season and moves to 63-14 (.818) at Penmen Field since the start of the 2014 season.
- The home run was Mulcay's team-leading fifth of the season, with all five coming in the last 10 games. During that stretch he has gone 10-for-33 (.303) with 10 RBI and seven runs scored.

Up Next:
The Penmen return to action Wednesday, April 11 (6 p.m.) when they take on Franklin Pierce University. The next home game for SNHU is Saturday, April 14 (12/3 p.m.) when they play host to Stonehill College in doubleheader action at Penmen Field.

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