Stonehill Goes Extras to Earn Split with #5 Southern Connecticut State


Senior Nick Nardacci delivered the game winning hit for the Skyhawks in game two. (PHOTO BY Richard Orr) 

Owls take advantage of mistakes for 4-2 win in game one,
Skyhawks rally for 4-3 extra innings win in game two

EASTON, Mass. (April 16, 2011) – Stonehill College, among teams receiving votes in this week's National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) Division II poll and ranked fourth in the NCBWA's East Regional rankings, earned a doubleheader split with No. 5-ranked Southern Connecticut State University in Northeast-10 Conference baseball action at Lou Gorman Field this afternoon. The Owls, also ranked sixth in the Collegiate Baseball magazine Division II coaches' poll and eighth in the collegebaseballinsider.com national poll, picked up a 4-2 win in game one, before the Skyhawks rallied for a 4-3 win in 11 innings in game two.

Sophomore Michael Zeiner (Simsbury, Conn./Simsbury) hit a combined 3-for-5 with a pair of walks and an RBI for Stonehill in the doubleheader. Junior Kyle Shepard (Boxford, Mass./Masconomet) was 3-for-9 with a triple, RBI and run scored.

Senior Kyle Rosadino (Berwyn, Pa./Conestoga) led the way for Southern Connecticut by going a combined 4-for-9 with a double, RBI and run scored while stealing two bases. Junior A.J. Rouleau (Westborough, Mass./Westborough) hit 2-for-5 with four walks, a run scored and RBI.

#5 Southern Connecticut State 4, Stonehill 2

Senior righthander Kevin Pettine (Somerset, Mass./Somerset) pitched a complete game win in game one, while Southern Connecticut State scored three runs in the sixth to claim a 4-2 decision over Stonehill in game one.

Pettine (5-0) allowed two runs, just one earned, on six hits with seven strikeouts and a walk over the nine innings on the mound for Southern.

Kyle Rosadino hit 2-for-4 with a stolen base and run scored. A.J. Rouleau batted 1-for-3 with an RBI and run scored, while senior Nick DeProspo (Worcester, Mass./St. John's) and junior Kyle Cummings (Hamden, Conn./Hamden) both chipped in with home runs.

Junior Rich McHugh (Pembroke, Mass./Thayer Academy) hit 2-for-4 with a home run, while classmate Michael White (Lisbon, N.H./Lisbon Regional) went 1-for-4 with a double and RBI. Michael Zeiner finished 1-for-2 with a walk.

White also took the loss on the mound (3-2) for the Skyhawks, yielding four earned runs on seven hits with four strikeouts and two walks over eight innings. Senior Dan Corrigan (Portsmouth, R.I./Portsmouth) struck out all three batters he faced in the ninth.


Junior Rich McHugh had two hits in game one, including a home run to open the scoring in the second inning. (PHOTO BY Richard Orr)

Stonehill opened the scoring in the second as McHugh lined his third home run of the season down the leftfield line with one out. Southern knotted the score in the fourth when DeProspo led off with his fifth homer of the year.

Cummings led off the sixth with his first home run of the season to spark a three-run sixth as SCSU took control. Rosadino singled through the left side with one out, stole second, and scored on a single to center by Rouleau. Sophomore Mike Cleary (West Boylston, Mass./West Boylston) followed with an RBI double to score Rouleau.

Stonehill got a run back in the eighth as senior Nick Nardacci (Glenmont, N.Y./Bethlehem Central) reached on a fielder's choice, and scored on a ground out by White. The Skyhawks brought the tying run to the plate, but Pettine got a fly ball to silence the rally and then retired Stonehill in order in the ninth to seal the win.

Stonehill 4, #5 Southern Connecticut State 3 (11 innings)

Stonehill rallied with two runs in the bottom of the 11th as Nick Nardacci delivered a game-winning RBI single for a 4-3 victory in game two to earn the split.

Nardacci drove in freshman Mitch Beaulieu (Falmouth, Maine/Falmouth) from second after he pinch ran for junior Michael Magnussen (Carver, Mass./Coyle & Cassidy), who drew a pinch hit walk. Kyle Shepard sparked the rally with a leadoff triple down the rightfield line, while Michael Zeiner drove him in with a sacrifice fly to left after Magnussen's walk. Beaulieu got into scoring position with a stolen base.


Senior Bryan Galligan threw nine strong innings in game two, yet didn't figure in the decision. 

Nardacci finished 2-for-6 with the RBI, while Shepard hit 2-for-5 with the triple, his fourth of the year, RBI and run scored. Zeiner batted 2-for-3 with a walk and RBI. Senior Scott Hackett (Bangor, Maine/Bangor) chipped in by hitting 1-for-5 with a double and run scored.

Junior lefthander Michael Von Stein (Trumbull, Conn./Trumbull) picked up the win (4-0), allowing an unearned run on three hits with two strikeouts and no walks over two innings of relief. Senior Bryan Galligan (Brockton, Mass./Brockton) didn't figure in the decision, allowing two earned runs on five hits with nine strikeouts and four walks over nine full innings.

Kyle Rosadino paced Southern as he hit 2-for-5 with a double, stolen base and RBI. Kyle Cummings batted 2-for-5 with a run scored, while A.J. Rouleau was 1-for-2 with three walks.

Freshman righthander A.J. Turnier (Waterford, Conn./Waterford) took the relief loss (6-1) for Assumption, surrendering the two earned runs on two hits with two strikeouts and a walk over 1.2 innings. Junior lefthander Chris Zbin (Colchester, Conn./Bacon Academy) allowed two runs, one earned, on seven hits with ten strikeouts and three walks in nine innings for the no decision.

Southern Connecticut jumped in front in the top of the first as Cummings led off with a single and scored on a double to left center by Rosadino. Stonehill tied the score in the sixth as Michael White singled up the middle with two out, advanced to third on a single by senior Angelo Bruno (Norwalk, Conn./Norwalk).

SCSU took that run right back in the seventh as freshman T.K. Kiernan (Wallingford, Conn./Wallingford) led off with a single, was sacrificed to second, and later scored on a sacrifice fly by Mitch DeProspo. Stonehill tied the game back up in the eighth when Hackett led off with a double to center and scored on a single to center by Shepard. Junior Greg Pacelli (Hamden, Conn./Hamden) delivered an RBI single to right center in the top of the 11th and then Shepard sparked the Skyhawks rally with a leadoff triple

 Stonehill (25-9, 10-4 NE-10) is right back in action tomorrow when it visits Franklin Pierce University, ranked 13th nationally, at 1 p.m. The Skyhawks return to Gorman Field on Wednesday to host the Ravens at 3:30 p.m. Southern Connecticut State (28-3, 13-3 NE-10) hosts Adelphi University for a key NE-10 matchup tomorrow at 1 p.m.