No. 4/8 SNHU Scores Early, Often, Eliminates Felician, 20-5, at NCAA East Regional
RINDGE, N.H. (May 21, 2016) -- Three runs in the first two innings set the tone early, and eight more through the middle innings broke the game open on Saturday afternoon for No. 4/8 nationally ranked and second-seeded Southern New Hampshire at Dr. Arthur and Martha Pappas Field. In all, the Penmen banged out 20 runs on 19 hits en route to a 10-5 win over fourth-seeded Felician in an elimination contest to open the third day of the NCAA Championship East Regional, hosted by Franklin Pierce University.
With the win, SNHU improves to 47-6 and advances to play at noon on Sunday against the winner of Saturday's 3 p.m. elimination game, which features fifth-seeded Bridgeport and seventh-seeded Dowling. With the loss, Felician is eliminated from its second NCAA Championship appearance in three seasons and concludes its season at 34-21.
SNHU opened the scoring with two runs in the top of the first and added another in the second to open up a 3-0 lead. In the first, junior third baseman Zach Goldstein walked and scored when junior shortstop Manny Cruz followed with his third home run of the season, a two-run shot which narrowly cleared the fence in straightaway left, for an estimated distance of 355 feet. In the third, sophomore left fielder Sean Webster was hit by a pitch with two outs and came around to score on an RBI double off the fence in left by Goldstein.
The Penmen added a run in the fourth, as graduate student right fielder Ryan Gendron scored on an error to make it 4-0. Felician halved the deficit with solo home runs from sophomore first baseman Jason Polgano and junior third baseman J.R. Meneses in the bottom of the fourth, and would get a run in the fifth on an RBI double by junior Brennan Price. But, meanwhile, the Penmen had snagged three in the fifth and added four more in the sixth to break the game open and make it 11-3. In the fifth, graduate student second baseman Mike Mastroberti hit an RBI single, while Gendron drove in a run with double. In the sixth, junior center fielder Carson Helms had the big blow with a two-run double to left.
SNHU would add four in the sixth, six in the seventh, one in the eighth and two in the ninth, while Felician plated a pair in the seventh, as the game went on to its 20-5 final.
Junior right-hander Alex Person (10-0) made the start for SNHU and threw 128 pitches (77 strikes) over eight innings. He allowed five runs on 14 hits, walked three and struck out one while picking up the win. The victory was the 21st of his career, establishing a new program record for SNHU.
Price (3-3) took the ball for Felician and threw 78 pitches (46 strikes) over the first four-plus innings, before remaining in the game as designated hitter. He was charged with six runs (five earned) on six hits, walked one, hit a batter and struck out two while taking the loss.