SNHU 9, Molloy 8
HOOKSETT – Southern New Hampshire University beat Molloy University 9-8 in Game 1 of the East Super Regional on Friday, but the Penmen lost starting catcher Kyle Lavigne in the process.
Lavigne was hit by a pitch in the seventh inning and he was taken to the hospital by family members. The ball appeared to hit Lavigne on the left side of his face and he immediately dropped to the dirt surrounding home plate.
“Unfortunately (Lavigne) got hit pretty much right in the eye,” SNHU coach Chris Shank said. “Nothing official right now, but what I’ve been hearing is a fracture of his orbital bone and he’s probably going to need surgery.”
The Penmen tied the game, 8-8, on a solo home run by backup catcher Steven Kienzle — Lavigne’s replacement — with one out in the bottom of the ninth, and then prevailed when Concord’s Nater Wachter scored from third on a bases-loaded walk to Manchester Dylan O’Sullivan.
Kienzle was batting .125 entering the Super Regional.
“When I hit the ball I knew it had a chance, but I wasn’t sure if it was completely gone,” Kienzle said. “It really hasn’t been my year, but when I saw the left fielder hit the fence and the ball go over I was just so excited to get in the dugout and celebrate with my guys. I just went up there looking for a pitch I could hit.”
SNHU (35-17) trailed 6-0 in the fifth and 8-2 in the sixth.
Lavigne’s injury left the Penmen with one healthy catcher. Backup catcher Jaimie Roldan was left off the roster for the Super Regional after sustaining a leg injury in the East Regional.
Jake Risedorf pitched the final three innings to collect the win and improve his record to 5-1. Robert Lucano, who gave up the home run to Kienzle, took the loss and fell to 3-5.
Game 2 in the series will be played Saturday at noon. If SNHU prevails, it will advance to the Division II Baseball Championship in Cary, N.C. A Molloy victory would force a third game, which would be played Saturday 60 minutes after Game 2 ends.
SNHU has advanced to the Division II Baseball Championship in each of the last three seasons, and has participated in four of the last five tournaments.
Molloy (42-13) hit three home runs in the loss. Two of those came from sophomore first baseman Sean Welsh, who entered Friday’s game with one home run in his career.
Welsh belted a two-run home run in the fourth inning, and then hit a solo home run in the fifth. Both home runs came against SNHU starter Parker Lendrum, an Exeter resident who also gave up a two-run home run to clean-up hitter Matt Yip in the fifth.
Wachter, a freshman, was 2 for 3 with three walks and two RBIs. He also scored twice and had a stolen base.
After falling behind 8-2, the Penmen pulled within a run by scoring three runs in the sixth and two in the seventh. Kienzle’s home run evened the score, and Molloy failed to score in the top of the 10th despite getting a leadoff double from center fielder Joe Burriesci.
The SNHU half of the 10th featured three walks and a hit batsman. Molloy’s three pitchers walked 10 in the game.
“Honestly I feel like (Kienzle) got a little bit of a raw deal this year,” Shank said. “We brought in another catcher (Roldan) and he just completely outperformed what I thought he was going to do and he kind of took over the backup catching position behind Lavigne.
“He never got a fair opportunity to go out there and showcase what he can do, but one thing that he did do well is he worked while he waited. He took advantage of an opportunity. It doesn’t get any bigger than that – Super Regional, down by a run and find a way to pop one out of here.”
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