Box Score MANCHESTER, N.H. – Trailing 3-2 entering the bottom of the ninth, Southern New Hampshire University took advantage of Franklin Pierce University miscues in the ninth and 10th innings to post a 4-3, 10-inning Northeast-10 baseball triumph over the 20th-ranked Ravens Wednesday night at Penmen Field. The Penmen posted their second straight extra inning walkoff win and improve to 27-13 and 10-6 in the NE-10 Northeast Division, while the Ravens are 27-13 and 10-4 in divisional play.
In the bottom of the 10th, after the top of the inning ended with SNHU catcher Andy Lalli (Lakeville, Mass.) throwing out Nick Lacroix attempting to steal second, Zach Goldstein (Merrick, N.Y.) led off by getting hit with a pitch. After reliever Brendan O'Rourke threw ball one to Brendan O'Brien (East Bridgewater, Mass.), he was lifted for Matt Horan. Horan proceeded to walk O'Brien giving the Penmen two on and no out. Andrew Pezzuto (Hastings-on-Hudson, N.Y.) laid down a sacrifice bunt attempt that Horan fielded and tried to get Goldstein at third, but the ball skipped off the glove of third baseman Matt O'Herron, and Goldstein scampered home with the winning run.
With SNHU down to its last out and no one on in the bottom of the ninth, Matt Boulter (Wrentham, Mass.) singled up the middle. During the next batter, Jon Minucci (Madison, Conn.), Joe Flynn uncorked a pair of wild pitches, the first allowing Boulter to move into scoring position, and the next, on the very next pitch, allowed Boulter to score as it settled in front of the SNHU dugout on the third base side. Minucci walked, but a strikeout ended the inning.
Franklin Pierce nearly extended its one-run lead in the top of the ninth, as Justin Brock stood at third with one out after reaching on a fielders' choice and stealing second and third. SNHU pitcher John Pickowicz (Hill, N.H.) was lifted for Alex Powers (Brewster, Mass.), who worked out of the jam by striking out Calvin Graves swinging for the second out. Dan Kemp nearly made it 4-2 with a ball that appeared headed up the middle, but shortstop Boulter was able to snare it, spin, and make a good throw to Alejandro Diaz (Old Bridge, N.J.) at first to keep it a one-run game.
Southern New Hampshire pulled within a run in the bottom of the eighth, taking advantage of another Franklin Pierce error. Goldstein singled with one out, then moved to third when Doug Willey bounced a pickoff attempt to first. O'Brien lifted a sac fly to center to plate Goldstein.
Franklin Pierce got on the board in the top of the second on back-to-back two-out doubles by Marty Dunlap and O'Herron. In the third, the guests made it 2-0 when a LaCroix single to left plated Kemp, who had reached on a one-out single.
Southern New Hampshire got a run back in the fourth when Lalli and Boulter singled back-to-back to lead off the inning, moved into scoring position on a passed ball, then Lalli scored on a wild pitch. FPU's final run came in the seventh Brock scored after Kemp reached on a two-out error by Boulter.
Boulter broke out of a recent slump by going 3-5 at the plate, while Al Stanton (Sandwich, Mass.) had a pair of hits. Boulter now sits just three hits shy of the career program record of 189. Powers picked up the win for the Penmen, not allowing a hit in his 1.2 innings of work. O'Herron led Franklin Pierce with three hits, while LaCroix and Zach Mathieu each had two hits. O'Rourke was tagged with the loss. Both teams had nine hits on the evening.
Penmen starter Junior Mendez (Patchogue, N.Y.) went seven innings and allowed eight hits and three runs (two earned) while striking out 12 and walking just one. Raven counterpart Vladimir Camacho struck out 12 in six innings, allowing six hits and one run and was in line before the win before Flynn blew the save in the ninth.
Southern New Hampshire returns to action Friday afternoon when it hosts Mercy College in a 3:00 non-conference doubleheader.
