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As They Play: Spartans Tackle Southern New Hampshire in NCAA Regional

As They Play: Spartans Tackle Southern New Hampshire in NCAA Regional

The St. Thomas Aquinas College baseball team takes on Southern New Hampshire in Game 11 of the East Regional in Rindge, NH. Follow the action here as it happens.

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Starters: SNHU - Goldstein 3b, Cruz, SS, Mastroberti 2b, Helms CF, Bauer 1b, Gendron DH, Rabbito DH, Zbierski C, Webster LF, McCarthy P (4-1, 3.46)

STAC - Fischer 2b, Pena SS, Del Priore C, Gargan LF, Dingcong RF, Cesca 1b, DeAngelis DH, Dawber 3b, Morgan CF, Vincenzo P (3-1, 2.47)

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6:16 - The Spartans' season comes to a close on a called strike three to Brandon Fischer. Powers is mobbed by his teammates after a terrific 9.0 inning "relief" outing. STAC's season ends at 37-17. - FINAL - SNHU 10, STAC 4.

6:11 - Pucciarelli leads off with a single to right and Morgan taps one toward the hole but Mastroberti makes another outstanding play with an off-balance throw to first for the initial out. Morgan trips over Bauer at first, who comes up limping but stays in the game. Jon McGugan pinch-hits a hard grounder to third; Goldstein makes a diving stop and throws him out. SNHU has played well in every facet. Fischer up with Pucciarelli at third.

6:07 - Maurizio DeVita comes on for the final out of the ninth, but the Spartans are down to their last chance. - Mid 9th - SNHU 10, STAC 4

5:56 - Time is running out for the Spartans as Powers turns it up in the 8th, striking out the side. - End 8th, SNHU 10, STAC 4.

5:50 - Goldstein's sharp grounder to third is snagged on the backhand by Dawber but the throw is well late for an infield single. SNHU tacks on insurance on Cruz' double to right center, though he's nabbed at third for the first out. - Top 8th - SNHU 10, STAC 4 - Dawber makes a nice stab on Mastroberti's hot grounder for the second out and Hannon strikes out Helms to end the inning.

5:43 - Del Priore hits a hard liner to right that tails to Gendron for the third out. End 7th - SNHU 9, STAC 4.

5:42 - Dawber scorches a one hopper to third, snagged artfully by Goldstein for the first out. Morgan taps out to second, but Fischer walks and Pena taps a grounder to second that's smothered by Mastroberti but the throw is well late as Fischer trots to third. Powers bounces an 0-2 pitch and both runners advance. Bottom 7th - SNHU 9, STAC 4

5:33 - Hannon retires the next two in order, but things are looking tough for the Spartans with three at-bats to go. Stretch time in Rindge. Mid 7th - SNHU 9, STAC 3

5:28 - Bauer grounds out to second but Gendron rips a double to left. Rabbito scorches a single to center and Morgan, charging hard for a play at the plate, comes up empty as the ball rolls to the center field fence and Rabbito circles the bases. Top 7th - SNHU 9, STAC 3

5:22 - Powers wins the battle as Dingcong grounds a 3-2 offering to third to lead off. Cesca takes a high offering and ropes a single to right, but Boland grounds into a 4-6-3 twin-killing to end the frame. Powers has come up huge in relief for the Penmen. End 6th - SNHU 7, STAC 3

5:16 - Mastroberti flies to short center and Morgan catches it on the run. His throw home is offline, but Goldstein holds at third with two down. Helms caps one off the end of the bat and Fischer tosses to first to retire the side. - Mid 6th - SNHU 7, STAC 3

5:13 - Cruz hits a dying opposite-field liner to right; Dingcong makes a sliding catch but Webster wisely tags and moves to third. On the first pitch, Goldstein steals second and Del Priore's throw skids into center field. One run in, runner advances to third, one out, infield in. Top 6th - SNHU 7, STAC 3.

5:07 - Scott Hannon on to work the visiting 6th. Webster lines a solid single to center to lead off. With the runner in motion, Goldstein hits a sharp grounder to second; Fischer, changing direction to his left, makes the pick but tries to make a spinning throw to second, which is too late and offline. All hands safe, 1st and 2nd, nobody out.

5:06 - Pena fouls off several 1-2 offerings before tapping one over Powers; no throw on the infield hit. Del Priore files one to right that's tracked down in foul territory by Gendron for the second out and Gargan ends the inning with a roller to second. - End 5th - SNHU 6, STAC 3

5:02 - Powers still on the hill, goes 3-0 to Fischer before working the count full. An opposite-field bid lands just foul, but the leadoff hitter works out a walk. Fischer is going on the pitch; Pena swings through and is called for interference, but the throw nails Fischer anyway. The caught stealing holds up and Pena remains at the plate with one out and a 1-2 count.

4:55 - Sinko comes back for the strikeout to end the inning, but his wildness proves costly. Mid 5th - SNHU 6, STAC 3

4:54 - Another wild pitch - this one up and in - goes to the backstop as another run trots home. Runner at 3rd. - Top 5th - SNHU 6, STAC 3

4:50 - Sinko struggles, walking Gendron on four pitches and going 2-0 on Rabbito. Muscat back to the mound. Possible turning point inning. Muscat leaves Sinko in and his magic words do the trick for the moment, as Rabbito strikes out on a payoff pitch. Del Priore saves a run, blocking the first pitch to Zbierski in the dirt, but he can't save the second one, which caroms to the backstop, all runners advancing. Top 5th - SNHU 5, STAC 3

4:43 - Vincenzo issues a four-pitch leadoff walk to Mastroberti, action again the the STAC pen. Helms jumps on the first pitch and skies to center for the first out. Bauer gets clipped on the elbow to put runners at 1st and 2nd and Muscat has seen enough. going to the bullpen. Chad Sinko (1-0, 2.89 ERA) coming on in relief.

4:40 - Morgan also grounds to the right side and what appears to be an easier play causes commotion as Morgan runs over 1st baseman Bauer, who records the out. Benches empty briefly but cooler heads quickly prevail. End 4th - SNHU 4, STAC 3

4:36 - Boland works on five pitches. Dawber hits a two-hopper to the right side for what looks to be a sure single, but Mastroberti makes a spectacular play for a very close out at first, as Coach Muscat argues to no avail. Two out, go-ahead runs in scoring position.

4:32 - On a 1-0 pitch, Dingcong executes a perfect delayed steal to put the tying run at second, but Cesca fails to advance the runner, going down swinging. Joe Boland up to pinch hit for DeAngelis. Runner at 2nd, one out.

4:30 - Just like that - Nick Gargan smokes a titanic homer to right field, and Dingcong quickly follows with a line single. - Bottom 4 - SNHU 4, STAC 3.

4:28 - Something to watch - Coach Loiseau's quick hook has come in handy, but Power's longest outing is 3.1 innings. He has now worked 3.0 today.

4:26- Goldstein walks on four pitches and action quickly stirs again in the Spartans pen. Cruz hits a hard two-hopper to short and Pena flips to Fischer to retire the side without further damage. Mid 4 - SNHU 4, STAC 2

4:21 - Zbierski strikes out but a wild pitch moves runners into scoring position. Webster's hot liner to center hangs just long enough for Morgan to make a sliding catch, but Gendron scores on the sac fly. Runner at 2nd, two out. - Top 4 - SNHU 4, STAC 2

4:18 - Gendron lines a soft single to left for a leadoff single, and Rabbito hits the next pitch to nearly the exact same place. 1st and 2nd, nobody out.

4:13 - Fischer hits one off the end of the bat, fooling center fielder Helms who comes in to make a nice diving catch to lead off. Pena smokes a liner to third, short-hopped nicely by Goldstein who completes the second out. Del Priore fans on a 3-2 offering - since Gargan's single, Powers has retired eight straight. - End 3rd - SNHU 3, STAC 2.

4:09 - A wild pitch moves the runner into scoring position but Bauer hits one off the end of the bat to left, with Gargan making the easy catch to retire the side. - Mid 3rd - SNHU 3, STAC 2

4:07 - Cruz rips a 1-1 liner to center but Morgan tracks it down. Mastroberti goes the other way, sending one deep down the right field line; Dingcong covers a ton of ground and appears to juggle the ball in fair territory before securing a terrific catch for out number 2. Helms lines a single to left, ending Vincenzo's string of eight straight retired. Runner at 1st, two out.

4:01 - DeAngelis strikes out, Dawber hits a soft liner to second, and Morgan grounds the first pitch to first, backhanded nicely by Bauer as the Spartans go down in order. Powers is mixing speeds nicely and now throwing strikes. End 2nd - SNHU 3, STAC 2

3:56 - Zbierski flies to center, Webster strikes out swinging, and Goldstein hits a hard grounder to short for a 1-2-3 inning. Vincenzo is throwing strikes and looks to be settling in, having retired six straight after the rocky start. - Mid 2nd - SNHU 3, STAC 2

3:52 - Powers fans Giovanni Dingcong swinging on a nasty slider, Rich Cesca, Jr. also waves at an offspeed offering as the Spartans strand the tyinig run at third, but are back in the game. - End 1st - SNHU 3, STAC 2

3:49 - Gargan hits a scorcher to deep right that's playable but ticks off the glove of Ryan Gendron; two runs score, Del Priore to third, but Gargan is caught between first and second for the first out. - Bottom 1st - SHNU 3, STAC 2

3:46 - McCarthy, who threw a pair of solo relief innings earlier this weekend, goes to 2-0 on Deven Del Priore and SNHU skipper Scott Loiseau has seen enough, coming out with the quick hook. Mitchell Powers (0-0, 2 Sv, 0.60 ERA, 15.0 IP) comes on and completes the four-pitch walk. Bases loaded, nobody out.

3:42 - Scott Hannon was warming in the STAC pen but has now sat. Brandon Fischer works out a five-pitch walk to leadoff the home first, and Pena sends a 2-2 offering into short center for a single, moving Fischer to third. The Spartans are in business with nobody out.

3:36 - Vincezo settles in with a strikeout and a week pop to right, but the Spartans are in an early hole. - Mid 1st - SNHU 3, STAC coming to bat.

3:32 - Derek Bauer slices one between Dawber and the third base line for a two-run double. Vincenzo induces a pop out to short for the first out. - SNHU 3, STAC 0

3:29 - Mike Mastroberti's hot shot to third skids under the backhand of Greg Dawber, putting runners at second and third with none out.

3:26 - First pitch from Sam Vincenzo is a strike. Zach Goldstein smokes a 1-1 offering deep to left cente, where Mike Morgan looks to have made a spectacular play, but the ball breaks off his glove for a ground rule double. Manny Cruz follows with a single to left and Nick Gargan mishandles the hop, allowing Goldstein to score. Top 1 - SNHU 1, STAC 0