Baseball Falters in Series Finale vs. SNHU, 14-8, on Senior Night Sunday in Nashua

Links: Box Score

NASHUA, N.H  – The Merrimack College baseball program celebrated Senior Night on Sunday, honoring the careers of seniors Jeremy Blake-Johnson, PJ Browne, Mike Hoalcraft, Garrett Hudson, Anthony Lupi, Matt Nicholson, Ricky Smith and Joe Westerman. In the game that followed, the Southern New Hampshire Penmen broke a 7-7 deadlock with a seven-run ninth inning to defeat the Warriors, 14-8, from Holman Stadium in Nashua, N.H.

The Basics
Score: SNHU 14, Merrimack 8
Records: Merrimack (22-17, 14-10 NE10, 9-7 NE DIV)
Records: SNHU (29-13, 15-6 NE10, 14-3 NE DIV)
Location: Holman Stadium | Nashua, N.H.

NE10 Championship Outlook:
The top-four programs in the Northeast Division standings will advance to the NE10 Championship, which begins with the first round one week from Tuesday. Merrimack is one game ahead of fourth place and holds a 1.5-game lead over fifth place with one week remaining in the regular season.

1. SNHU – 14-3 NE DIV
2. Franklin Pierce – 11-5 NE DIV
3. Merrimack – 9-7 NE DIV
4. Stonehill – 8-8 NE DIV
5. Assumption – 8-9 NE DIV
6. Bentley – 7-10 NE DIV
7. Saint Anselm – 4-11 NE DIV
8. Saint Michael's – 4-12 NE DIV

Rapid Recap

• Southern New Hampshire sent eight men to the plate in the top of the first, scoring three times. A run-scoring double and two RBI singles accounted for the scoring in the frame
• The Warriors responded with a five-run second inning. The first two baserunners reached to create a first-and-third situation for Smith. The team captain laid down a safety squeeze, which he beat out, to score sophomore Thomas Joyce and make it a 3-1 game. Two batters latter and with the bases loaded, Hoalcraft scored on a wild pitch to move Merrimack within one, 3-2
• Graduate student Tyler Lyne notched a two-out single to score two Warriors and put the hosts in front, 4-3. Lyne advanced to second, and promptly scored on a bloop single of the bat of junior Matthew Ronai to make it a five-run game
• Hudson took the ball on the night he was honored and settled in to allow just one run over the next four innings. Hoalcraft scampered home in the bottom of the third on a wild pitch that went up the third-base line, and Merrimack took a 6-4 lead into the sixth
• Hudson worked out of a two-on and two-out jam in the sixth, working around the two baserunners to strike out the side and keep the Warriors' lead at two runs
• SNHU tacked on three runs in the top of the eighth to take a 7-6 lead, but Merrimack fought back. Hoalcraft continued his strong day with a wall-ball double to left, and advanced to third on a wild pitch with two outs. Junior Anthony Garbarino put together the best at-bat of his career, driving a 3-2 fastball through the left side to tie the game at 7-7
• The Penmen broke the game open in the top of the ninth, scoring seven times. The big hit came off the bat of junior Joshua Zbierski, who hit a two-out grand slam to bring the contest to a 14-7 margin

Notes and Notables:

• WP: Walkinshaw (3-0) | LP: Fleury (2-4)
• Merrimack enters the final week of the regular season in control of its own destiny for a berth in the NE10 Championship. The Navy and Gold will clinch a postseason berth with wins in their first two games of the week against Bentley on Tuesday and Assumption on Wednesday
• Merrimack was the first team to score off Walkinshaw, the Penmen's top reliever. It marked a streak of 15.0 innings to start the year without allowing an earned run
• Hoalcraft turned in his best hitting performance of the year, tying his career high with three hits and setting a new career best with three runs 
• Porricelli stole two bases to increase his conference-leading total to 22 on the year

Up Next
Merrimack will have a day off tomorrow, before playing five straight single games to close out the Warriors' divisional slate. That run begins Tuesday afternoon, when the Navy and Gold will return to Waltham, Mass. and vie to sweep Bentley University. First pitch at DeFelice Field is set for 3:30 p.m.