STANDOUT PERFORMERS

• Kienzle – 1-for-1, RBI, R, HR
• O' Sullivan – 2-for-4, RBI, R, 2B, BB
• Freshman Nater Wachter (Concord, N.H.) – 2-for-3, 2 RBI, 2 R, 2B, 3 BB, SB
• Sophomore Jake Risedorf (Barkhamsted, Conn.) – 1-for-4, RBI, BB; 3.0 IP, 5 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 K, 0 BB (win; 5-1)
• Junior Harry Vargas Segura (Bronx, N.Y.) – 1-for-4, 2 RBI, 2 R, 2 BB, SB
• Sophomore Jake Pisano (Hamden, Conn.) – 1-for-4, 2 RBI, BB
• Senior Griffin Gilbert (Concord, N.H.) – 1.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 K, 0 BB

HOW IT HAPPENED

• Molloy snapped a scoreless deadlock with two outs in the top of the fourth on a two-run, no-doubt homer to left-center off the bat of Sean Welsh.
• The Lions extended their lead to 6-0 in the fifth with a four-run frame that chased sophomore starter Parker Lendrum (Exeter, N.H.) from the game, and was highlighted by a two-run home run from Matt Yip and a solo shot from Welsh.
• Southern New Hampshire grabbed two back in the home half on an RBI single to left-center by Pisano and a bases-loaded walk to Risedorf.
• After a two-run single by Gavin McAlonie nudged the Molloy advantage to 8-2 in the sixth, the Penmen answered with a two-run double to right by Wachter and a sacrifice fly to right from Pisano to trim their deficit to 8-5.
• SNHU pulled closer in the seventh with a two-run single by Vargas Segura making it 8-7. Vargas Segura would be thrown out at the plate on a single to right from sophomore Dyrenson Wouters (Oranjestad, Aruba) later in the inning and Molloy would maintain its one-run edge.
• Kienzle then did the seemingly improbable with one out in the bottom of the ninth. After entering the game, defensively, in the eighth, he hit a game-tying home run to left-center that made it 8-8.
• Risedorf gave up a leadoff double in the top of the 10th, but secured three straight outs to keep it tied.
• In the bottom of the frame, two walks and a hit batter loaded the bases with two outs and O'Sullivan came through without swinging the bat, as he drew the 10th walk of the day for the Penmen to plate the winning run.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

• Wouters finished 2-for-6 with a run scored.
• Senior Jorge Burgos (Santo Domingo, D.R.) went 1-for-4 and walked twice.
• Kienzle entered the game, defensively, in the eighth inning, after sophomore Kyle Lavigne (Bedford, N.H.) was hit in the face by a pitch in the bottom of the seventh. With the backup catcher, graduate student Jaime Roldan (Boston, Mass.), off the Super-Regional roster due to an injury, the Penmen turned to Kienzle, who was 3-for-24 with one home run and one RBI on the season prior to his clutch swing.
• Lendrum was charged with six runs – four earned – on seven hits over four-and-two-thirds innings, while striking out three and walking three.
• Graduate student Zachary Gitschier (Lowell, Mass.) allowed two runs on two hits, while fanning a pair and walking two, over two-thirds of an inning.

NOTES

• Southern New Hampshire, ranked 21st in the latest National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) Division II Poll, has won 12 of its last 14, including seven of eight and four straight. The Lions, ranked 14th in the poll, had captured 12 of their last 14, including six-in-a-row, coming into the day.
• SNHU, in its 12th appearance in the NCAA postseason, improves to 47-26 (.644) all-time, including 6-2 against Molloy.
• SNHU leads the all-time series with Molloy, 13-12, and has captured six of the last nine meetings, including five of six and three straight. This was the first time the two teams met at Penmen Field.
• Kienzle's home run was his second of the season and second of his career.
• Risedorf has now reached base in 15 straight.
• Vargas Segura and Wouters lead the team with reached-base streaks of 19 games.
• Vargas Segura now has 48 stolen bases on the season, which moves him into third place for the most steals in a single season in NE10 history.
• In SNHU's single-season record book, Vargas Segura now ranks second in walks (48), third in steals and fifth in runs (66).
• The Penmen better their record to 13-5 at home this season and are now 147-34 (.812) at Penmen Field since the beginning of the 2014 campaign.
• The Penmen are playing for an NCAA East Regional title for the eighth consecutive NCAA postseason. SNHU is in the NCAA East Super-Regional for the fourth time (2019, 2022, 2023, 2024) and also made the NCAA East Regional final three times under the old format (2016, 2017, 2018) and again in the 2021 Covid season. The NCAA Championship was not played in 2020.

UP NEXT

• The Penmen and Lions will play Game 2 of the best-of-three NCAA East Super-Regional on Saturday (12 p.m.) at Penmen Field, with SNHU needing to win to capture its fourth straight regional crown. The if-necessary Game 3 is would follow 60 minutes after the completion of Game 2.