Box Score Photo credit: Emma Daniels
When and Where: May 28, 2021 – Rindge, N.H. (Pappas Field)
Score: Southern New Hampshire University 14, Franklin Pierce University 6
Records: SNHU 26-6, FPU 22-11
Redshirt-junior Dakota Mulcay (Goffstown, N.H.) homered and drove in four runs, as the 14th-ranked and top-seeded Southern New Hampshire University baseball team eliminated fourth-seeded Franklin Pierce University from the NCAA East Regional Championship on Friday with a 14-6 victory at Franklin Pierce's Pappas Field.
STANDOUT PERFORMERS
- Mulcay – 2-4, home run, walk, 4 RBI, 3 runs
- Redshirt-junior Sam Henrie (Middleboro, Mass.) – 2-5, 4 RBI, run
- Redshirt-freshman Danniel Rivera (New Britain, Conn.) – 2-4, home run, 2 walks, RBI, 4 runs, 2 stolen bases
- Grad student Joshua Goldstein (Haverhill, Mass.) – 2-3, 2 walks, 2 runs
- Graduate student Marcus Chavez (Queens, N.Y.) – 1-3, walk, 2 RBI, 2 runs, steal
- Graduate student Nick Artymowicz (Seaville, N.J., 8-1) – 2.2 innings, 0 runs, 1 hit, 1 strikeout, 2 walks
KEY MOMENTS
- Southern New Hampshire jumped out to a 1-0 lead on just the fourth pitch of the game when Rivera sent one sailing over the fence in left.
- The Penmen added to their advantage in the third, as singles from redshirt-sophomore Alex Kennedy (Braintree, Mass.) and Rivera set the table for redshirt-freshman Christian Mercedes (Providence, R.I.), who drove a base hit through the left side to plate a run. Chavez then delivered a sacrifice fly and the SNHU lead grew to 3-0, before Mulcay crushed a two-run bomb to deep right widened the gap to five.
- Franklin Pierce pushed across an unearned run in the third before a sac fly from Graham Smith in the fourth trimmed the deficit to 5-2.
- SNHU grabbed one back in the fifth on an RBI single through the right side from Chavez that made it 6-2.
- The Ravens struck for four in the sixth as an Ian Battipaglia sac fly and a three-run double down the right field line from Randy Flores knotted the game, 6-6.
- The Penmen went back in front in the top of the seventh when Mulcay stroked a two-out, two-run, bases-loaded single to center. Henrie followed with a two-run single through the left side before redshirt-junior Idelson Taveras (Lawrence, Mass.) hammered an RBI single to center to stretch the lead to 11-6.
- Another two-run single from Henrie highlighted a three-run eighth that expanded the Penmen advantage to 14-6.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
- Kennedy was 2-for-5 with a double and scored a run.
- Mercedes walk, RBI, run) and Taveras (RBI) were each 1-for-5.
- Redshirt-junior Alex Gomes (Peabody, Mass.) worked the first five-and-a-third innings and allowed six runs - three earned - on seven hits, while striking out four and walking a pair.
- Freshman Trevor Anibal (Bedford, N.H.) allowed one hit and struck out one in a scoreless ninth.
NOTES
- Southern New Hampshire, ranked 14th in the latest National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) Division II Poll, improves to 29-18 (.617) in its ninth NCAA postseason appearance, including 4-3 against Franklin Pierce.
- The Penmen were supposed to play next at 11 a.m. Saturday (May 29), but with Friday's third game between third-seeded Molloy College and fifth-seeded Goldey-Beacom College being postponed to Saturday at 11 a.m. due to rain, SNHU will now take on the winner of that game Saturday at 3 p.m.
- SNHU has won six straight.
- Southern New Hampshire now leads the all-time series with Franklin Pierce, 48-42-1, and has won 16 of the last 18 meetings with the Ravens.
- Mulcay's home run was his 11th of the season and the 25th of his career. The 11 moves him into a second-place tie in SNHU's single-season record book, while the 25 adds on to his all-time record.
- Rivera's homer was his fifth of the season and of his career.
- The four RBI for Mulcay gives him 122 for his career, moving him past Derek Bauer (2015-17) and into second place on SNHU's all-time list. He is now just nine RBI shy of tying the record.
- The victory for Artymowicz moves him into a sixth-place tie on SNHU's single-season wins list.
UP NEXT
- Top-seeded Southern New Hampshire will play Saturday (May 29) at 3 p.m. against the winner of third-seeded Molloy and fifth-seeded Goldey-Beacom, which play Saturday at 11 a.m.
For the latest on Southern New Hampshire University athletics, follow the Penmen via social media on Twitter, Facebook, Youtube and Instagram. You can also sign up to receive text message alerts and e-mail newsletters about your favorite Penmen teams.
NCAA Division II East Regional Championship
Thursday, May 27
Game 1: (5) Goldey-Beacom 3, (2) St. Thomas Aquinas 0
Game 2: (3) Molloy 13, (4) Franklin Pierce 5
Game 3: (1) Southern New Hampshire 5, (6) Dominican (N.Y.) 1
Friday, May 28
Game 4: (2) St. Thomas Aquinas 4, (6) Dominican (N.Y.) 2 (Dominican eliminated)
Game 5: (1) Southern New Hampshire 14, (4) Franklin Pierce 6 (Franklin Pierce eliminated)
Saturday, May 29
Game 6: (5) Goldey-Beacom vs. (3) Molloy - 11 a.m.
Game 7: (1) Southern New Hampshire vs. Game 6 Winner - 3 p.m.
Game 8: Game 6 Loser vs. (2) St. Thomas Aquinas - 7 p.m. (loser eliminated)
Sunday, May 30
Game 9: Game 7 Loser vs. Game 8 Winner - 12 p.m. (loser eliminated)
Game 10: Game 7 Winner vs. Game 9 Winner - 4 p.m.
Monday, May 31
Game 11: Game 10 rematch* - 12 p.m.
* Game 11 only necessary if Game 9 Winner wins Game 10.