PENMEN TAKE TWO FROM YELLOW JACKETS

GAME 1 BOX SCORE     GAME 2 BOX SCORE 

MANCHESTER, N.H. - Junior Ryan Thompson (Westford, MA) went a combined 4-for-9 with four runs scored and sophomore Skyler Byrd (Milford, NH) went 4-for-9 with two doubles and two RBI to lead Southern New Hampshire University to a doubleheader sweep of American International College here today in Northeast-10 Conference baseball action. SNHU took the opener 5-3, and completed the sweep with a 3-2 win in 12 innings in game two. The host Penmen improved to 13-17 overall and 12-16 in the league, while the Yellow Jackets close out the year at 9-31 overall and 5-25 in the NE-10.

Juniors David Dest (Orange, CT) and Jeff Rustico (Southington, CT) paced the Yellow Jackets at the plate. Dest went a combined 5-for-8 , while Rustico went 5-for-10 with two RBI. Freshman Chris O'Neil (Chelmsford, MA) helped the SNHU cause with three hits and three RBI on the day.

The Penmen took an early 2-0 lead with a run in each of the first two innings in the opener. O'Neil delivered a RBI single in the first inning, and sophomore Brandon Thomas (Cornwall-Hudson, NY) lined a RBI double in the second. AIC cut the lead in half with a run in the fifth, as junior Jason Rustico (Southington, CT) lined a later scored on a bases-loaded fielder's choice. AIC took a 3-2 lead with two runs in the seventh, as Jeff Rustico delivered a two-out, two-run single down the left field line. SNHU regained the lead with two runs in the bottom of the seventh. The first run scored off a RBI single by Byrd and the second came home off a sacrifice fly by O'Neil. SNHU closed out the scoring in the eighth when Thomas delivered his second RBI double of the game. Sophomore Scott Allen (Georgetown, MA) got the win in relief of SNHU starter Jeff Smith (Stow, MA). Allen allowed just one hit and fanned two over 1 2/3 innings. Sophomore Ryan Quinn (Lebanon, CT) worked the ninth for the Penmen and recorded two strikeouts en route to his fourth save. Smith scattered six hits over 6 1/3 innings, while AIC starter Brett Cooley (Somers, CT) allowed 10 hits and fanned eight over seven innings.

Both teams plated a run in the first and third innings in game two, and the score remained 2-2 until the Penmen plated an unearned run in the 12th. Senior Jason Smith (Acton, MA) earned a leadoff walk for SNHU in the 12th, and after a strikeout Smith advanced to second on a ground out. Thomas then lined a potential inning-ending grounder that the AIC shortstop could not come up with, allowing Smith to score. Thompson and Bryd both had two hits in game two for SNHU, while Dest went 5-for-5 for the Yellow Jackets. Junior Jon Morse (Arlington, MA) worked the first 10 innings for the Penmen, allowed 13 hits and fanned six. Quinn struckout three over the final two innings to collect the win.