When and Where: March 5, 2023 – Stroudsburg, Pa. (Creekview Park)
Game 1 Score: RV East Stroudsburg University 4, #6/9 Southern New Hampshire University 1
Game 2 Score: RV East Stroudsburg University 5, #6/9 Southern New Hampshire University 3
Records: SNHU 7-3, East Stroudsburg 11-2

Redshirt junior Cristian Mercedes (Providence, R.I.) had an RBI double in the opener and junior Nick Schwartz (Massapequa, N.Y.) hit a two-run homer in the nightcap, but No.6/9 Southern New Hampshire dropped a doubleheader at East Stroudsburg University on Sunday afternoon by scores of 3-1 and 5-3.

STANDOUT PERFORMERS

• Mercedes – 1-7, 2B, RBI
• Schwartz (Massapequa, N.Y.) – 1-6, HR, R, 2 RBI
• Junior Danniel Rivera (New Britain, Conn.) - 2-6, R, 2B, BB
• Sophomore Gabe Passey (Moses Lake, Wash.) – 2-3
• Junior Mike LaRocca (Vero Beach, Fla.) – 1-6, R, BB
• Junior Cam Caraher (Plymouth, Mass.) – 1-6, R, BB
• Junior Dylan O'Sullivan (Manchester, N.H.) – 2-3

KEY MOMENTS – GAME 1

• Rivera opened the game with a double, advancing to third on a groundout, but didn't score.
• East Stroudsburg then scored with two outs in the bottom of the first on a single by Cameron Hubbard, a stolen base, and a single by Jack Rothenhausler.
• The Penmen drew even in the top of the third inning.  Rivera walked and Mercedes ripped a double to right field to make it 1-1.
• The Warriors scored three runs in the bottom of the fourth inning.  Hubbard singled and stole second and Rothenhausler singled to make it 2-1.  A single by Parker Frey, a sacrifice, and a single by Victor Cruz drove in the game's final two runs.
• O'Sullivan singled in both the fifth and seventh innings for SNHU, but the Penmen did not score.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE – GAME 1

• O'Sullivan had two of SNHU's four hits, with Rivera and Mercedes tallying the other two.
• Graduate student Josh Roberge (Chelmsford, Mass.) allowed four runs on seven hits in his six innings.  He did not walk a batter, striking out five while falling to 1-2.
• Chase Nowak (W, 3-0) went the distance for the Warriors, allowing four hits and one earned run.  He walked two and struck out four. 

KEY MOMENTS – GAME 2

• After three scoreless innings, SNHU went in front in the top of the fourth.  LaRocca walked and Schwartz followed with a home run, his second of the season.
• Caraher singled and stole both second and third, advancing from third on a dropped third strike.
• The Warriors finally cashed in against junior George Welch (Derry, N.H.) with a run in the bottom of the fourth inning to make it 3-1.  Jeremy Piatkiewicz singled to drive in Rothenhausler, who had doubled.
• A pair of singles to start the fifth ended the outing for Welch, and East Stroudsburg would go on to tie the game with a Rothenhausler single and a wild pitch after sophomore Frankie Sanchez (Kendall Park, N.J.) took over on the mound.
• The score stayed that way until the bottom of the eighth inning.  Colin Houck doubled home one run and Mike Kelly singled in Houck to make it 5-3.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE – GAME 2

• Passey had a pair of singles for the Penmen.
• Welch's scoreless streak to start the season reached 15 innings before the Warriors scored in the fourth inning. 
• Sanchez (L, 0-1) was tagged with the loss, allowing two runs in four innings on five hits.  He struck out six while walking two.
• Tom Reisinger worked the first five innings, and Nick McAuliffe (W, 1-1) followed with four innings of shutout ball, allowing just one hit and one walk, striking out five.
• Rothenhausler went 3-for-7 with a double and three runs batted in for the doubleheader.

NOTES

• Southern New Hampshire, ranked sixth in the Collegiate Baseball Pre-Season NCAA Division II Poll and ninth in the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) NCAA Division II Top 25, dropped a non-conference doubleheader for the first time since 2/9/19 when they lost at Cal State San Bernardino.
• The Penmen are 2-3 all-time against East Stroudsburg, but the teams had not met since March 14, 2008, in Fort Myers, Fla.
• The Warriors have won nine straight games, all over Northeast-10 competition.  East Stroudsburg opened the streak with a four-game sweep of Saint Rose before taking three games from Saint Anselm.  The Warriors went 41-20 last season, advancing to the NCAA Super Regional before falling to West Chester in three games.
• ESU is the number three team in the latest NCWBA Atlantic Region Poll, and is receiving votes in the NCBWA Top 25.

UP NEXT

• The Penmen will play one more game with East Stroudsburg starting on Monday 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.