Manchester, N.H. (April 12) -- In a Northeast-10 Conference divisional doubleheader on Saturday afternoon, the Assumption College baseball team dropped a pair of games to No. 11 ranked Southern New Hampshire. The Hounds dropped a 6-4 final in game one, followed by a 9-4 setback in game two.

In game one, Southern New Hampshire put up a pair in the bottom of the first to stake the Penmen to the early 2-0 edge. Brendan O'Brien reached on a leadoff single to left and later scored on a throwing error, while Manny Cruz singled to third to reach, stole second and later scored on a steal of home for the 2-0 lead. The score stayed that way until the top of the fourth inning before Assumption took the lead at 3-2 with a trio of fourth-inning runs. After senior Ysander Figueroa (Worcester, Mass./Worcester Tech) led off the frame with a double to right center, the Hounds eventually got two runners in scoring position with one out thanks to a double steal. Figueroa and sophomore Colin Clancy (Chelmsford, Mass./Chelmsford) scored the first two runs for the Hounds, while junior third baseman Greg O'Donnell (Northbridge, Mass./Northbridge) came home on a balk for an unearned run and the 3-2 edge.

The Hounds added a run in the sixth on the second run of the game from O'Donnell, who scored on an RBI groundout by senior Michael Smith (Old Lyme, Conn./Old Lyme) for the 4-2 edge heading to the final three innings. The Penmen regained the lead in the bottom of the seventh with three runs, led by a two-RBI triple to right center for the 5-4 edge. Southern New Hampshire added an insurance run in the bottom of the eighth, en route to the 6-4 final.

O'Donnell and sophomore catcher Tom Paine (Upton, Mass./Nipmuc) each posted two hits, while four Penmen had two hits each in game one.

Junior Zack LaRosa (West Hartford, Conn./Conard) went 6.2 innings in the start, scattering eight hits with four runs allowed. Senior Bill King (Worcester, Mass./Holy Name) took the loss to drop to 1-2 on the season as he went  0.1 innings in relief. Sophomore Joe McCarthy went seven innings for the Penmen in the win, improving to 4-0 on the season.

In the second game, Southern New Hampshire took a 3-0 lead in the bottom of the first behind a two-RBI single up the middle by Riley Palmer as he ended game two 4-for-4 with four RBI and two runs scored. Assumption tied the game at 3-3 in the top of the fourth, started by an unearned run by Figueroa and a two-RBI single to center by Paine that tied the game. The Penmen struck right back with a three-run fourth, led by a two-RBI single to center by O'Brien to take the lead for good at 6-3.

After the hosts scored a run on a wild pitch in the sixth, Palmer hit a two-run homer to right field to make it a 9-3 margin after seven. Clancy scored on an RBI groundout in the ninth for the Hounds with their fourth run, closing out the scoring in the five-run final.

Sophomore Ronnie Sampson (Jefferson, Mass./West Boylston) got the start for the Hounds, going six innings while scattering eight hits to drop to 0-3 on the season. Alex Person improved to 2-1 on the season in 6.2 innings pitched, scattering five hits with zero earned runs and eight strikeouts.

With the sweep, Assumption drops to 9-13 overall and 2-4 in Northeast Division play, while the Penmen improve to 27-7 overall and 9-2 in the division.

Assumption is back in action on Sunday, April 13th as the Hounds again take on Southern New Hampshire in a doubleheader beginning at Noon. Game one will complete the three-game divisional series with the Penmen, while the second game is a non-conference contest.

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