MANCHESTER, N.H. (May 1, 2021) -- The leads were not safe on Saturday afternoon at Penmen Field. The Franklin Pierce University baseball team held late advantages in both ends of a doubleheader on the road at No. 13/21 nationally ranked Southern New Hampshire, but could not pick up a win in either game. The Penmen used an 11-run eighth inning to turn the tables in a 14-5 win in the first game, and freshman Dylan O'Sullivan drilled a walk-off home run in the second game to lift SNHU to a 6-3 win.

With the losses, Franklin Pierce falls to 14-6 (11-5 NE10), while SNHU improves to 16-2 (16-2 NE10). The two teams will meet again on Sunday at Penmen Field to wrap up the four-game season series with a noon doubleheader.

Game 1: Southern New Hampshire 14, Franklin Pierce 5

SNHU used an 11-run last of the eighth to erase a two-run deficit and seize control of the first game. Junior Dakota Mulcay provided the keynote address, as he mashed a grand slam to center field, his team-leading sixth home run of the season, to turn what was already an 8-5 Penmen lead into a 12-5 rout. Earlier in the inning, freshman Christian Mercedes had given SNHU the lead with a two-run single through the right side of the infield.

Earlier in the game, Franklin Pierce had started things off on the right foot with a pair of runs in the top of the second, as an errant throw scored one run and an RBI single by junior Graham Smith (Wilmington, Mass.) brought home the other. Jones socked his team-leading fifth home run of the season to center field in the fourth to make it 4-0.

SNHU started on the comeback trail and got one back in the last of the fifth. The Penmen continued to trim the lead, all the way down to 4-3, with another in the sixth and one more in the seventh. Franklin Pierce picked up an insurance run in the top of the eighth, on a sacrifice fly by Jones, but it would not be nearly enough to hold off the surging Penmen.

Neither starter would factor in the decision. Graduate student left-hander Shawn Babineau (Ashland, Mass.) took the ball for Franklin Pierce and threw it 104 times (67 strikes) over seven innings. He was charged with five runs on seven hits, walked three and struck out six. Senior left-hander Patrick Hannon (Willington, Conn.) suffered the loss (1-1) after a disastrous relief appearance. Over just one-third of an inning, he allowed six runs on four hits, walked one and struck out one.

Junior right-hander Alex Gomes started on the mound for SNHU. He fired 119 pitches (73 strikes) over 7.1 innings, surrendered five runs on eight hits, walked three, hit a batter and struck out five. Freshman right-hander Trevor Anibal (1-0) was the beneficiary of all the eighth-inning runs, as he picked up the win after 1.2 hitless innings with two strikeouts.

Game 2: Southern New Hampshire 6, Franklin Pierce 3

Down a run headed for the last of the seventh in the second game, SNHU used a pair of home runs to send the Ravens away with nothing to show for their afternoon. The game got tied in a hurry, as Chavez drove a ball over the left-field fence with one out for his first home run of the season.

The Penmen then set about winning the game as well, and did their final damage with two outs. Junior Sam Henrie singled through the left side and Dowd drew a walk to set the stage for the day's final salvo. It was O'Sullivan who sent his teammates pouring out of the third-base dugout in celebration, as he went the other way and drove a three-run, walk-off home run to right field, his first of the season.

Earlier, SNHU had opened the scoring with a run in the bottom of the first. Freshman Danniel Rivera led off with a single back through the middle, moved to second on a groundout and scored on an RBI single up the middle by Chavez.

Franklin Pierce leapt out front with a three-spot in the top of the fifth. Sophomore Ian Battipaglia (Cheshire, Conn.) walked and graduate student Tyler Patane (Lake Grove, N.Y.) was hit by a pitch to set the table for Ozuna. Ozuna then deposited the ball on the other side of the fence in right-center for a three-run homer, his fourth of the season, matching Jones for the team lead.

SNHU clawed one back in the home half of the fifth. Rivera walked and later scored on a bases-loaded, one-out walk issued to Henrie. Sophomore right-hander Hunter Reynolds (Marlborough, Mass.) took over on the mound in a sticky situation, with the lead now just one run and the bases still full of Penmen with one out. Reynolds got the Ravens out of the jam though, as he struck out both Dowd and O'Sullivan to strand the bases loaded and, ultimately, set up the late theatrics.

Reynolds' (1-2) success would carry through the sixth, when he recorded another strikeout, but things came undone in the seventh. In the end, over 2.1 innings of work, he allowed four runs on three hits, walked two and struck out three while taking the loss. Reynolds worked in relief of graduate student right-hander Seb Gruszecki (Dudley, Mass.), who threw the first 4.1 innings. He allowed two runs on six hits, walked three and struck out two.

Junior right-hander Jeffrey Praml (4-1) went the distance in the seven-inning affair on 103 pitches (68 strikes) for SNHU. He surrendered three runs on six hits, walked three and struck out 11.