LANTANA, Fla. – The Southern New Hampshire University baseball team swept a pair of games from regional opponents Southern Connecticut State University and Post University by scores of 3-2 and 10-3 Friday at the Santaluces Complex.  The Penmen have now won four straight and improved to 8-3 with the victories.

In game one against Southern Connecticut, the Penmen snapped a 1-1 tie with two runs in the bottom of the eighth.  Michael Mastroberti (Ramsey, N.J.) led off with a single, and following a sac bunt, came around on a single by Anthony Aceto (North Providence, R.I.).  Aceto scored on a single by Manny Cruz (Wolcott, Conn.).

Southern Connecticut tried to rally in the top of the ninth, getting a run and runners on first and second with one out, however, SNHU reliever Benjamin Criscuolo (Branford, Conn.) induced a 6-3 double play to end the game.

Southern New Hampshire took a 1-0 lead in the fifth as Riley Palmer (Goffstown, N.H.) worked a leadoff walk and eventually scored on a single by Mastroberti.  The Owls tied the game in the top of the sixth inning, taking advantage of a pair of SNHU passed balls.

Mastroberti had two of SNHU's five hits as the Penmen were outhit 12-5.  Southern New Hampshire starter Derrick Sylvester (Franklin, N.H.) went 6.2 innings and scattered seven hits while allowing one unearned run and striking out four.  Criscuolo improved to 2-0, allowing five hits and one run in his 2.1 innings of relief.

The Penmen pounded out 13 hits in the nightcap, scoring twice in the bottom of the first and tacking on single runs in the third and fourth frames before plating three runs apiece in the sixth and seventh innings.  Post took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first and scored single runs in the third and seventh innings.

Al Stanton (Sandwich, Mass.) was one of four Penmen who had two hits in the nightcap as he drove in four runs, including belting a three-run home run in the seventh.  Cruz, Brendan O'Brien (East Bridgewater, Mass.) and Tyler Fortanascio (Oradell, N.J.) also had two hits apiece, with Fortanascio driving in a pair of runs.  With three hits today, O'Brien moved into a tie with Tim Rines (2008-11) for third place on SNHU's career hit list with 167.

The Penmen used five pitchers, with starter Stephen Fortuna (Metuchen, N.J.) going an inning.  Sam Fuller (Barre, Vt.) picked up the win in relief for the Penmen.  Tim Viehoff (Derry, N.H.) was the longman in the win, going four innings of relief and striking out seven and allowing just one hit and one run.

Southern New Hampshire closes out its spring break Florida swing Saturday at 3:30 against Southern Connecticut.

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