Stonehill Tops Bridgeport behind Penzone, 5-1


Senior Nick Nardacci had three hits, a stolen base and run scored to lead the Skyhawks offense. (PHOTO BY Richard Orr) 

Penzone, Soulier quiet Purple Knights bats for second-straight win

ORMOND BEACH, Fla. (March 18, 2011) – Stonehill College, ranked fourth in this week's National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) Division II East Regional poll, picked up a second-straight win and avenged a loss to the University of Bridgeport earlier in the week with a 5-1 victory this afternoon.

Senior righthander Shane Penzone (Hudson, Mass./Hudson Catholic) and freshman lefthander Zach Soulier (Milford, Conn./Jonathan Law) combined on the win on the mound for Stonehill. Penzone earned the win (2-0) as he allowed the one earned run on four hits with three strikeouts and three walks over 6.2 innings. Soulier earned his first career save, yielding just a hit in 2.1 scoreless innings of relief with two strikeouts and no walks.

Stonehill struck first with a single run in the second as McHugh singled and later scored on a passed ball. Bridgeport evened the score in the fourth as


Senior Shane Penzone picked up his second win with 6.2 strong innings today. 

senior Peter Barrows (Old Saybrook, Conn./Old Saybrook) walked and later scored on a ground out.Senior Nick Nardacci (Bethlehem, N.Y./Bethlehem Central) went 3-for-5 at the plate for Stonehill with a stolen base and run scored. Classmate Scott Hackett (Bangor, Maine/Bangor) was 2-for-6 with a run scored, while junior Kyle Shepard (Boxford, Mass./Masconomet) hit 2-for-4. Junior Rich McHugh (Pembroke, Mass./Thayer Academy) and sophomore Michael Zeiner (Simsbury, Conn./Simsbury) both batted 1-for-3 with an RBI, while senior Angelo Bruno (Norwalk, Conn./Norwalk) chipped in by going 1-for-3 with an RBI and stolen base.

Stonehill answered right back with a pair in the top of the fifth to take the lead for good. The Skyhawks loaded the bases on a pair of singles from Hackett and junior Michael White (Lisbon, N.H./Lisbon Regional) before Bruno was hit by a pitch. Junior Steven Popp (Unionville, Conn./Farmington) drove in White with a sacrifice fly, before Bruno scored on a passed ball. The Skyhawks added two insurance runs in the eighth when Nardacci singled and scored on a base hit by Bruno and Hackett singled before scoring on a hit from McHugh.

Stonehill (9-5, 0-0 NE-10) is back in action tomorrow when it rounds out its spring break trip against Pace University (10 a.m.) and Bentley University (1 p.m.) at Rollins College. The Skyhawks first home game is scheduled for Friday, March 25, when they host Post University for a non-conference doubleheader starting at 1 p.m. Bridgeport (5-2, 0-0 ECC) is off until it hosts Molloy College on Wednesday, March 23, at 3:30 p.m.