When and Where: March 10, 2024 – Salem, Mass. (Salem State University Baseball Field)
Game 1: Southern New Hampshire University 13, St. Thomas Aquinas College 10 (7 inn.)
Game 2: Southern New Hampshire University 12, St. Thomas Aquinas College 7 (7 inn.)
Records: SNHU 9-7, STAC 6-6
Junior
Harry Vargas Segura (Bronx, N.Y.) launched a pair of home runs and knocked in six runs, while senior
Jorge Burgos (Santo Domingo, D.R.) homered and drove in five, to lead the offensive charge in the Southern New Hampshire University baseball team's doubleheader sweep of St. Thomas Aquinas College on Sunday afternoon at the Salem State University Baseball Field. SNHU posted a 13-10 win in the opener and a 12-7 victory in game two.
STANDOUT PERFORMERS
- Vargas Segura – 2-for-5, 5 R, 2 HR, 6 RBI, 4 BB, SB
- Burgos – 3-for-6, 4 R, 5 RBI, HR, 2B, BB
- Redshirt-freshman Ruben Fernandez (Providence, R.I.) – 3-for-5, 3 R, BB
- Sophomore Dyrenson Wouters (Oranjestad, Aruba) – 3-for-6, 3 R, 3 RBI, 2 2B, 3 BB
- Sophomore Jake Pisano (Hamden, Conn.) – 2-for-5, 2 R, 2 RBI, 3 BB
- Freshman Nater Wachter (Concord, N.H.) – 2-for-6, 2 R, 4 RBI, HR, BB
- Sophomore Kyle Lavigne (Bedford, N.H.) – 2-for-6, 2 R, 2 RBI, 2B, BB
HOW IT HAPPENED – GAME 1
- St. Thomas Aquinas jumped out to a 6-0 lead in the top of the first against sophomore Frankie DeMaro (Newburgh, N.Y.), taking advantage of a pair of errors to put up five unearned runs. Southern New Hampshire came back with a big response in the home half, as it hung a five-spot. SNHU capitalized on four straight walks, including one to sophomore Jake Risedorf (Barkhamsted, Conn.) with the bases loaded, before a two-run single by Burgos and a two-out, two-run homer to right-center off the bat of Wachter.
- The score stayed that way until the top of the fourth when STAC extended its lead to 9-5 with a three-run frame. The Penmen answered again with five more in the bottom of the inning, cued by a leadoff solo shot from Burgos. The big blow in the frame came on a three-run bomb to right from Vargas Segura that flipped SNHU in front, 10-9.
- Vargas Segura did it again in the fifth, clobbering a two-out, three-run shot to right to stretch the Penmen lead to 13-9.
- A solo home run from Gregory DiGiaro in the sixth made it a three-run game.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE – GAME 1
- Fernandez was 2-for-2 with a walk and two runs scored.
- Burgos (two runs, three RBI, home run) and Wachter (two runs, two RBI, home run) were both 2-for-3.
- Vargas Segura finished 2-for-4 with a pair of runs scored, a career-high six RBI and two home runs.
- Senior Dylan O'Sullivan (Manchester, N.H.) was 1-for-2 with a walk and a run scored.
- Pisano went 1-for-3 with a walk and scored a run.
- DeMaro was charged with six runs – just one earned – on four hits and three walks in an inning of work.
- Freshman Devin Divita (New Hartford, Conn.) allowed two runs on three hits, while fanning five and walking a pair, over two-and-a-third innings.
- Graduate student Zachary Gitschier (Lowell, Mass.) earned the win to improve to 1-2 on the season, as he relinquished two runs on four hits over three-and-two-thirds innings, punching out three and issuing a walk.
HOW IT HAPPENED – GAME 2
- St. Thomas Aquinas leaped out to a 3-0 lead in the top of the first.
- Southern New Hampshire answered with two runs in each of the next three innings. An RBI double to left-center by Burgos and a run-scoring single to center from Pisano pulled the Penmen within 3-2 in the first, before a two-run double off the bat of Wouters in the second put them on top, 4-3. Two more, including a sacrifice fly from Lavigne, extended the SNHU lead to 6-3 in the third.
- After STAC pushed one across in the top of the fourth, the Penmen offense kept rolling with three more in the home half, highlighted by a Burgos sac fly and an RBI single from Lavigne that made it 9-4.
- DiGiaro's third home run of the series sparked a three-run fifth for the Spartans that pulled them within 9-7, but four walks and a hit-by-pitch pushed across another pair for the Penmen to widen the gap to 11-7. A Wouters single in the sixth brought home another run for SNHU to bring the score to 12-7.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE – GAME 2
- The Penmen scored in every inning they batted, including at least two runs in each of the first five frames.
- Wouters went 3-for-3 with two runs, three RBI, two doubles and a pair of walks.
- Lavigne was 2-for-3 with a run, two RBI and a double.
- Piasno finished 1-for-2 with a run, two RBI and a pair of walk.
- Burgos (two runs, two RBI, double, walk) and Fernandez (run) were both 1-for-3.
- Vargas Segura was 0-for-1, but drew four walks and scored three times.
- Sophomore Austin Trumpour (Jensen Beach, Fla.) improved to 3-0, as he turned in six innings and allowed seven runs on 10 hits, while striking out seven and walking three.
- Risedorf worked the final inning and struck out one, while facing the minimum, despite hitting a batter.
NOTES
- Southern New Hampshire has won seven of its last nine games.
- SNHU leads the all-time series with STAC, 17-8. The Penmen have won 11 of the last 13 meetings, including 10 of 11.
- The Penmen put up 12 or more runs in three of the four games against the Spartans and outscored them, 40-25, in the series.
- The two-homer game for Vargas Segura was the first of his career.
- Burgos, who has gone deep in four of the last seven games, leads the Northeast-10 conference with seven homers and 22 RBI.
- Vargas Segura, who extended his hit streak to 13 games before having it snapped in game two, leads the league in stolen bases (13), while ranking second in RBI (18) and home runs (4), and fourth in batting (.423).
UP NEXT
- The Penmen return to action Saturday, March 16 when they kick off a three-game set at Post University with a 1 p.m. doubleheader.
