Box Score

Manchester, N.H. - The American International College baseball team scored three runs in the top of the ninth inning as it overcame a 3-0 first inning deficit at Southern New Hampshire Monday at Penmen Field. The Yellow Jackets improved to 8-19 overall and 6-10 in the Northeats-10, while the Penmen dropped to 6-22 overall and 4-16 in conference play. Freshman Kyle McNiff (Westford, Mass.) delivered a two-RBI single with runners on second and third with one out in the ninth to give AIC its only lead of the game.

The Yellow Jackets trailed 3-2 heading into the ninth and their first two runners on base as junior Greg Lyons (Canton, Mass.) walked seniors Jeff Rustico (Southington, Conn.) and David Dest (Orange, Conn.) to start the inning. Junior Kevin Farrell (Wilbraham, Mass.) advanced them to second and third before McNiff stepped to the plate and singled to left center field, giving AIC a 4-2 lead and chasing Lyons from the game.

McNiff scored two batters later on an error by freshman Koby Thibault (Salisbury, Mass.) and freshman Sean Stevenson (Holyoke, Mass.) closed the game by sitting down all three Penmen batters in the bottom of the ninth for the 5-3 final. The save is Stevenson's third of the season.

Southern New Hampshire scored the game's first run in the bottom of the first when junior Jeff Gianino (Beverly, Mass.) was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded and took a 2-0 lead when freshman Timothy Rines (Northfield, N.H.) scored on a fielders choice. Thiault then singled to right field, scoring sophomore Chris O'Neil (Chelmsford, Mass.) to give the Penmen a 3-0 lead.

AIC got on the board in the sixth when junior Dan Fey (Plymouth, Mass.) singled to center field with the bases loaded and nobody out, but freshman Bryant Gauthier (Lynn, Mass.) got out of trouble after that by striking out senior Jason Rustico (Southington, Conn.) and then got Jeff Rustico to ground into a double play to end the inning. The Yellow Jacket pulled back within a run in the seventh as Dest led the inning off with e solo shot to right field, his first of the year.

Graduate student Terry Loh (Milford, Conn.) settled down after a rough first inning and left the game after allowing three runs on four hits in six innings. Freshman John Shivo (Ayer, Mass.) struck out two of the four batters he faced in a scoreless seventh and classmate John Scanlon (Glastonbury, Conn.) sent Southern New Hampshire down one-two-three in the eighth to pick up the first win of his collegiate career.

Lyons took the loss after allowing all of AIC's three runs in the ninth. Gauthier got the start for Southern New Hampshire and left the game with two outs in the top of the seventh and a 3-2 lead.

Fey finished the day 2 for 4 at the plate with an RBI for the Yellow Jackets, while O'Neil was 2 for 4 with a run scored for the Penmen.

AIC will next host Franklin Pierce Tuesday at 3:30 p.m. at AIC Park.