(Game 1 Box) (Game 2 Box)

            HENNIKER, N.H. – Plymouth State University rallied from four runs down with two outs and nobody on base in the final inning Tuesday afternoon, pulling out a 6-5 victory over New England College in the second game of a non-conference doubleheader at Laurie Cox Memorial Field.

            The Pilgrims scored an unearned run to break a 3-3 tie in the bottom of the sixth inning of game one of the twin bill and held off the Panthers in the seventh to capture a 4-3 victory.  NEC appeared headed for the doubleheader sweep in their final games of the season, but PSU would not be denied and staged the remarkable comeback.

            Plymouth State trailed 5-1 heading into the seventh and final inning, and was down to its final out when the first two batters were retired.  The Panthers stayed alive when the 7-8-9 hitters in the order, sophomores Justin Campo (Londonderry, N.H.) and Marcus Joyce (Scituate, Mass.) and freshman Brendan Cosgrove (Merrimack, N.H.) strung together singles to load the bases, and freshman Steve Beard (Middletown, Mass.) delivered a dramatic game-tying grand slam for his first career home run.

            The improbable comeback continued when sophomore Joe Eramo (Shirley, Mass.) followed with a single and came around to score the go-ahead run on two Pilgrim throwing errors.  Freshman closer Rew Wilson (Niantic, Conn.) came on in the bottom of the seventh and retired the Pilgrims in order, two by strikeout, to record his third save and preserve the Panther victory.

            NEC took a 2-0 lead in the third inning of the opener thanks to a Jimmy Lauzon (Manchester, N.H.) two-run double.  The Pilgrim went up 3-0 before PSU answered with three runs in the fifth inning, scoring one on an RBI double by junior Matt Koban (Bradford, N.H.) and two more on a two-run home run by junior Bryant Lausberg (Somersworth, N.H.), his third homer of the year.

            The Pilgrims broke the tie in the home half of the sixth as Chris Gagne (Rochester, N.H.) walked and eventually came around to score on a Panther throwing error.

            Plymouth State, 9-27 overall, plays a non-conference make-up game Wednesday at Castleton State College (4:30 p.m.).  New England College ends its season at 9-29.  

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