Hooksett, N.H. – The second-seed Molloy baseball team began the NCAA Super Regional Friday afternoon against top-seed Southern New Hampshire Penmen. The Lions fell, 9-8, in 10 innings at Penmen Field. Molloy moves to 42-13 on the campaign, while Southern New Hampshire improves to 35-17.

How it Happened

• After a scoreless first inning, Southern New Hampshire threatened to crack the scoreboard in the bottom of the second with runners on second and third with one out.
• Graduate student Charlie Cucchiara got out of the jam, inducing a pop out and fly out to keep the game without a score after two innings of action.
• In the top of the fourth with a runner on first, sophomore Sean Welsh connected and blasted a two-run home run to get Molloy on the scoreboard, 2-0.
• After an error and infield single to kick off the top of the fifth, the Lions set the stage with runners on first and third. Senior Gavin McAlonie drove in junior JJ DeVito with a sacrifice fly to extend the lead, 3-0.
• Next batter to the plate was senior Matt Yip, and the designated hitter found a pitch he liked and drove it over the center field fence for a two-run home run and open a 5-0 advantage for Molloy.
• Still in the fifth, now with two outs, Welsh stepped back to the plate and connected again this time a solo home run to cap a four-run inning and give the Lions a 6-0 lead.
• Southern New Hampshire got two back in the bottom of the frame, with runs scoring following an RBI single and a run scoring walk to cut into the lead, 6-2, after five innings of action.
• The cardinal and white responded with two more runs in the top of the sixth, when McAlonie singled up the middle to reclaim the Molloy six-run lead, 8-2.
• In the bottom of the sixth, the Penmen rallied for three runs. Two came in following a double and the final run of the inning crossed the plate via a sacrifice fly to cut the deficit to three, 8-5.
• The home team continued to battle back, with two runs coming home following a single to bring the contest within one, 8-7.
• The Penmen look to tie the contest at eight the very next batter. Following a single to right field and the tying run rounding third, senior Anthony Manisero came up firing and gunned down the runner at the plate to keep Molloy in front, 8-7, after seven innings.
• In the bottom of the ninth, Southern New Hampshire knotted the contest at eight following a solo home run to send the game to extra innings.
• The Penmen would complete the comeback and win the contest in the bottom of the tenth following a bases loaded walk to clinch game one, 9-8.

Top Performances

• Welsh hit two home runs and drove in three.
• McAlonie collected two hits and three RBI.
• Yip homered and drove in two. The senior collected his 14^th home run of the campaign, setting a new single-season record.
• On the mound, Cucchiara tossed five innings allowing five hits, two runs, and struck out three in the no-decision.

Up Next
Molloy returns to the diamond Saturday, May 25 for game two of the NCAA Super Regional beginning at 12:00 p.m. Should the Lions win game two, the deciding game three would begin an hour following game two.