MANCHESTER, N.H. – Led by a complete-game shutout by sophomore John Healy (Cranston, R.I.), the Hawks defeated their Manchester rivals, the Southern New Hampshire University Penmen, 3-0 in their first of three encounters this season.  Junior TJ Murphy (Reading, Mass.) propelled the Hawks' offense, going 3-for-4 at the plate with a run and two stolen bases.  The win lifts the Hawks to 10-22 (8-11 NE-10), while the Penmen slip to 14-20-1 (7-10-1 NE-10).

Brendan O'Brien led off the bottom of the first with a walk and made it to second on a sacrifice bunt by Tim Rines, but he was stranded on third with a strikeout and a groundout to end the inning.  TJ Murphy started the top of the second with a single to center field, but he was forced out on the next play, when Rett Ostafin (Avon, Conn.) hit into a double play to short.

The Penmen got two singles in the bottom of the second, but Jon Massad made the last out of the inning, trying to stretch his into a double, and in the top of the third, the Hawks stranded a pair on second and third with a groundout to the pitcher and a lineout to third.

In the top of the fourth, Matt Sucharewicz (Peabody, Mass.) finally made something happen, as he started off the inning with a single up the middle.  After Murphy and Ostafin went out, James Garrigan (Plymouth, Mass.) picked up the first RBI of the day with a triple down the right-field line, the first triple of the season for the Hawks.

Healy retired the Penmen in order in the bottom of the fourth, and Richie Manzi (Plymouth, N.H.) got on base with a one-out walk in the top of the fifth.  Mike Garczynski (Fort Myers, Fla.) flew out to left field for the second out, but Manzi then stole second and got on third by a wild pitch.  However, during Robert Kelly's (Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif.) at-bat, Manzi got thrown out by catcher Kevin Spatkowski to end the inning.

After Healy stranded a pair of Penmen in the bottom of the fifth, Robert Kelly went back up to the plate with a fresh count and hit a single through the left side.  Sucharewicz walked, and Murphy loaded the bases with an infield single.  Ostafin struck out, but then Garrigan put the ball in play, scoring Kelly while forcing out Sucharewicz at third to put the Hawks ahead, 2-0.

The Penmen left runners on second and third in the bottom of the sixth, but they then stranded Steven Panza (Watertown, Mass.) on third in the top of the seventh.  Healy pitched his third of four 1-2-3 innings in the bottom of the seventh, and Murphy kept the Hawks' offense alive with a one-out single in the top of the eighth.  Murphy stole second during Ostafin's at-bat, who then struck out for the third time.  However, Garrigan kept things going, getting on base due to an error by the shortstop, to make it first and third.  Murphy and Garrigan then pulled off a double steal, making it 3-0 Hawks heading into the bottom of the eighth.

Healy did not allow the ball out of the infield in the bottom of the eighth, drawing three consecutive groundouts.  The Hawks left Panza on third base in the top of the ninth once again, but in the bottom of the inning, Healy allowed just a two-out single before getting Matt Boulter to fly out for the final out of the game.

John Healy allowed seven hits and struck out five in his first career complete-game shutout.  It is the second shutout for a Hawk pitcher this season, after Neil Hesek (Northboro, Mass.) shut down Bentley 3-0 on March 6 down in Florida. Steven Golbranson took the loss for the Penmen, allowing the first two runs on six hits and three walks while striking out three in seven innings.  John Pickowicz closed out the game for the Penmen, allowing the final unearned run on two hits in two innings.

The Hawks return to action tomorrow afternoon when they travel to Hanover, Mass. to take on the Division I Big Green of Dartmouth College in a non-conference game beginning at 3:30.  LiveStats, audio, and video are all available for tomorrow's game.