White, SNHU top Queens

By rbrown
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Updated: February 25, 2023

When and Where: February 24, 2023 – Myrtle Beach, S.C. (Crosley Field)
Score: Southern New Hampshire University 10, Queens (N.Y.) College 2
Records: SNHU 4-1, Queens 0-1

Juniors Nick Schwartz (Massapequa, N.Y.) and Mike LaRocca (Vero Beach, Fla.) each drove in three runs, and fellow junior Brandon White (Simsbury, Conn.) allowed just one earned run over seven strong innings, as the No. 6/9 Southern New Hampshire University baseball team posted a 10-2 victory against Queens (N.Y.) College on Friday at Crosley Field in Myrtle Beach.

STANDOUT PERFORMERS

Schwartz – 2-4, R, 3 RBI
LaRocca – 2-4, 2 R, 3 RBI, BB
White (1-0) – 7.0 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 2 K
Junior Danniel Rivera (New Britain, Conn.) – 3-3, 2 R, RBI, 2 BB

KEY MOMENTS

Southern New Hampshire jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the top of the first inning. Rivera drew a leadoff walk, went to second on a balk and third on a passed ball before junior Cristian Mercedes (Providence, R.I.) plated him with an RBI single. Mercedes promptly stole second and scored on LaRocca’s base knock to right, while Schwartz cleaned them up with a two-run homer to right-center.
After Queens grabbed one back in the home half, SNHU matched it, as Rivera led off with a base hit, stole second and third, and scored on Schwartz’ two-out single to center that made it 5-1.
The Penmen put up a pair in both the seventh and eighth, with LaRocca launching another two-run bomb to left that extended the lead to 7-1. Queens scored one in the bottom of the frame, but a solo shot from sophomore Jorge Burgos (Santo Domingo, D.R.) and an RBI knock from Rivera stretched the advantage to 9-2.
SNHU tacked one on in the ninth on an RBI groundout from sophomore Harry Vargas Segura (Bronx, N.Y.).

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

Burgos finished 1-for-2 with a home run, RBI, run scored and a walk.
Mercedes went 1-for-3 with an RBI and a pair of runs scored.
Graduate student Zachary Gitschier (Lowell, Mass.) allowed one hit in a scoreless eighth.
Junior Albert Cuello-Batista (Manchester, N.H.) gave up a pair of hits, walked a batter and struck one out in a shutout ninth.

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, is 4-1 to begin the season for the second straight year.
SNHU is now a perfect 8-0 against Queens all-time and is outscoring the Knights, 62-20.
In 21-and-a-third innings this season the Penmen bullpen has pitched to a 0.42 ERA, relinquishing just four runs – one earned – on 12 hits, while striking out 27 and walking four.

UP NEXT

The Penmen are back in action Saturday (Feb. 25) at 2:30 p.m. when they take on Mercy College in doubleheader action at Griffith Field in Myrtle Beach, S.C.

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