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Box Score 2 Lee blasts walk-off homerun in game one
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Bowler tallied his 88th hit of his career to tie the first game at two
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WEST HARTFORD, Conn. (March 27, 2017) – The Stonehill College baseball team earned a split with Southern New Hampshire University, ranked No. 1 in the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association East Region Poll and No. 7 in the NCBWA top-25, Sunday afternoon at Fiondella Field in West Hartford, Connecticut.
Game 1: Stonehill 3 – Southern New Hampshire 2
Stonehill and Southern New Hampshire were neck and neck through the first five innings, as the Penmen left six runners on base to the Skyhawks' three. The Penmen also held the advantage in hits against the Skyhawks, 5-2 in the first frames.
Southern New Hampshire was able to string together a run in the top of the sixth with only one out as John Stanton was hit by a pitch and Caleb Potter moved him over with a single and Kyle Ruth followed with a single of his own. Still with one out, Cam Oliveira flied out to centerfield for a sacrifice fly to score Stanton from third for a 1-0 lead.
Stonehill put some pressure on the Penmen as Ben Monte (New Haven, Connecticut/Guilford) recorded his fifth double of the season getting in scoring position for Stonehill. However, the Penmen closed out the bottom of the sixth with a strike out and a grounder to the pitcher.
In the top of the eighth inning, Oliveira started off the frame with a single, and later scored off a pass ball as Kyle Pangalla walked to first for a 2-0 lead.
Stonehill responded in the bottom of the inning, as Rocco and Carey singled and both stole bases to get in scoring position for Eddie Bowler (Hingham, Massachusetts/Hingham). The senior ripped the ball up the middle to score Matthew Rocco (Newington, Connecticut/Newington) and Tyler Carey (Raynham, Massachusetts/Bridgewater-Raynham) from third and second, respectively, tying the game at two, 2-2.
On the mound, seniors Patrick Hurley (Roslindale, Massachusetts/Catholic Memorial) and Aubrey Solomon (Groton, Massachusetts/Lawrence Academy) combined for one walk, one single, and two groundouts in the top of the ninth freezing Stanton and Bauer at second and third, respectively for the Penmen.
In the bottom of the ninth, with Steve Lee (Braintree, Massachusetts/Braintree) as the lead-off batter, he launched his second blast of the season and seventh of his career.
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Roberts recorded seven strikeouts in 6.2 innings and held the Penmen to one run
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Solomon recorded his second win of the season and sixth of his career, while classmate Jeremy Roberts (Reading, Massachusetts/Malden Catholic) dominated on the mound for 6.2 innings, striking out seven, walking one, and giving up 10 hits for a 1.35 ERA on the day.
Game 2: Southern New Hampshire 7 – Stonehill 2
Stonehill kicked off the second game with a run in the bottom of the first, as Carey walked and advanced to second on a failed pickoff attempt getting in scoring position for Monte who singled tallying the RBI for a 1-0 advantage.
The Penmen responded with a three-run blast from Joshua Zbierski as Stanton and Ryan Sullivan had walked previously, putting Southern New Hampshire on top, 3-1, in the top of the second.
In the top of the third inning, Stanton ripped a triple scoring Potter from first base, extending the Penmen's lead to three, 4-1.
Stonehill was able to cut the lead to two, 4-2, with Harrison Sabo (Wilton, Connecticut/Wilton) leading off with a single and Joe Klingensmith (Topsfield, Massachusetts/Masconomet) and Lee singling, scoring Sabo from second, in the bottom of the fourth.
Late in the game, Southern New Hampshire was able to rally with two outs and add three more runs to the score, 7-2. Stanton doubled scoring Kyle Goldstein and Taylor Olmstead, while Sullivan was hit by a pitch advancing all runners letting Pangalla cross home for the seventh run.
Stonehill is set to host NE10 Northeast divisional foe Assumption College on Wednesday, March 29 on Lou Gorman Field with a first pitch slated for 3:30 p.m.
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