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SNHU extends winning streak

When and Where: February 23, 2019 – Myrtle Beach, S.C. (Cal Ripken Experience)
Game 1 Score: Southern New Hampshire University 9, Concordia (N.Y.) College 5 (14 inn.)
Game 2 Score: Southern New Hampshire University 10, University of Bridgeport 4
Records: SNHU 5-2, Concordia 0-3, UB 0-3

Junior Jake Coro (Johnston, R.I.) went 3-for-7, including a game-tying, inside-the-park home run in the eighth inning of game one, as the ninth-ranked Southern New Hampshire University baseball team picked up two more victories Saturday to improve to 4-0 on its South Carolina trip. The Penmen pulled out a 9-5, 14-inning win against Concordia (N.Y.) College in the opener and then defeated the University of Bridgeport, 10-4, in game two.

GAME 1 BOX SCORE | GAME 2 BOX SCORE

STANDOUT PERFORMERS

  • Coro hit .429 with a home run, walk, RBI and two runs scored.
  • Redshirt-junior Sean Doherty (Haverhill, Mass.) went 4-for-9 with three extra-base hits, a walk, two RBI and two runs scored, while also getting hit by a pitch twice.
  • Senior Joshua Zbierski (Stafford Springs, Conn.) finished 3-for-7 with a pair of walks, an RBI and a run scored.
  • Redshirt-junior Joshua Goldstein (Haverhill, Mass.) turned in a 3-for-8 day at the dish, walking twice, while driving in a pair of runs and scoring three times.
  • Senior Hayden Manning (Portland, Conn.) allowed three hits over three shutout innings, walking one and striking out one, to record the game one win.
  • Graduate student Chris Murphy (Billerica, Mass.) earned the win in game two, as he gave up one run – unearned – on three hits, while striking out 13 and walking three, in six innings.

HOW IT HAPPENED – GAME 1

  • Southern New Hampshire went up, 1-0, on Concordia in the top of the second when redshirt-senior Kevin Alexy (Newton, Mass.) hit a two-out solo home run.
  • SNHU made it 3-0 in the second on a two-run double from junior Phoenix Hernandez (Brooklyn, N.Y.) that scored Coro, who led off the inning with a walk, and fellow junior Dylan Faircloth (Cleveland, Texas), who singled.
  • Concordia pulled within 3-2 in the home half of the third against redshirt-junior Brendan Welch (Easton, Mass.) with a pair of bases-loaded walks.
  • After Welch gave up back-to-back singles to start the fourth, senior Matthew Messier (No. Troy, Vt.) entered, with a sacrifice bunt moving a pair into scoring position before a grounder to short and a passed ball each brought in a run that put the Clippers on top, 4-3.
  • The Penmen tied it in the fifth when Faircloth drew a leadoff walk and scored on Zbierski’s double.
  • Concordia went ahead, 5-4, in the bottom of the seventh with a two-out single from Tyler Epple.
  • Coro pulled the Penmen even again with one out in the eighth, smoking a ball off the center field wall before hustling around for the inside-the-park home run that made it 5-5.
  • The score stayed that way until SNHU hung a four-point in the 14th inning. Senior Kyle Ruth (Albany, N.Y.) led off with a bunt single, before Doherty was hit by a pitch and Goldstein walked to load the bases. Sophomore Idelson Taveras (Lawrence, Mass.) followed with a two-run single that made it 7-5, with classmate Sam Henrie (Middleboro, Mass.) reaching on a fielder’s choice that brought in another run two batters later. Faircloth stretched the lead to 9-5 with a sac fly to center.
  • Manning worked around a hit and a walk in scoreless 14th to close the door.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE – GAME 1

  • Faircloth finished 3-for-6 with a walk, RBI and two runs scored.
  • Doherty (run) and Zbierski (walk, RBI) were both 2-for-5.
  • Hernandez went 2-for-8 with a pair of RBI, with Taveras going 1-for-6 with a walk, two RBI and a run scored.
  • Alexy (home run, two walks, RBI, run) and Ruth (run) each went 1-for-2.
  • Welch was charged with four runs – two earned – on three hits, while striking out two and walking four, over three-plus innings.
  • Messier gave up one unearned run, as he did not relinquish a hit, while striking out four and walking one, in three-and-two-thirds innings.
  • Sophomore Jeffrey Praml (Bridgewater, N.J.) fired four-and-a-third scoreless frames, allowing three hits, while punching out six and walking one.

HOW IT HAPPENED – GAME 2

  • Bridgeport went ahead, 1-0, in the top of the second against junior Brian Eddy (Worcester, Mass.) on an RBI single by Ryan Donnelly.
  • Southern New Hampshire exploded for six runs in the bottom half of the second, as walks to Zbierski, Hernandez and grad student John Stanton (Sandwich, Mass.) loaded the bases, before a two-run single from Goldstein put the Penmen on top, 2-1. Taveras was hit by a pitch to pack the bases again, with a wild pitch bringing in Stanton with the third run of the inning. Doherty then drew a walk to once again load the bases, when Henrie’s base hit plated two more runs. Henrie later stole second, went to third on a fielder’s choice and scored on a balk to make it 6-1.
  • Bridgeport would get one back in the third on a two-out RBI single from Joey Grillo.
  • SNHU broke it open with three more in the sixth. After Hernandez reached on a one-out error, singles from Stanton and Goldstein loaded the bases before Taveras lifted a sac fly to center to bring in the first run. Doherty followed with the big blow – a two-run double down the line in left that stretched the lead to 9-2.
  • A two-run home run off the bat of Vincent DeRubeis trimmed the Bridgeport deficit to 9-4 in the top of the eighth.
  • Doherty capped the scoring by leading off the home half of the eighth with a triple and then came to the plate on a passed ball.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE – GAME 2

  • Goldstein went 2-for-3 with a walk, two RBI and two runs scored.
  • Doherty and Henrie both finished 2-for-4 with a walk, two RBI and a run.
  • Zbierski (walk, run) and Stanton (two walks, two runs) were 1-for-2.
  • Eddy worked the first inning, allowing an unearned run on one hit and a walk, while striking out the side.
  • Grad student Cameron Scotia (Dudley, Mass.) followed Murphy and gave up two runs on three hits, while fanning three, in two innings.

NOTES

  • Southern New Hampshire has won four straight.
  • SNHU has now hit nine home runs in the first seven games of the season.
  • The Penmen bullpen worked 19 innings and flashed a 0.95 ERA in the doubleheader, allowing four runs – two earned – on 12 hits, while striking out 27 and walking six.
  • Alexy’s home run is his first of the year and second of his career.
  • Coro’s homer is his first of the season and third of his career.

UP NEXT

  • The Penmen wrap up its Myrtle Beach trip Sunday, Feb. 24 (9 a.m.) when it takes on St. Thomas Aquinas College in a rematch of the previous two East Region finals.

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