NE10 Games to Watch: April 15-17

Posted: Apr 15, 2022

Every Friday, the NE10 is going to highlight the biggest contests each weekend. It may be a big-time rivalry, matchup between two ranked teams or a battle for playoff-positioning. Fans can follow the action for every game by visiting our schedule page.

BASEBALL

New Haven at Adelphi: April 15 – 12:00 p.m. (DH) (Live Stats – Video)
New Haven at Adelphi: April 16 – 12:00 p.m. (DH) (Live Stats – Video)

Adelphi will host New Haven this weekend in a four-game set in Southwest Division play, as the second-place Panthers (16-8-1, 7-3 NE10) look to snap a three-game losing skid. The Chargers (16-11, 2-6 NE10) are coming off a win over Mercy on Wednesday, rebounding from last weekend when they dropped three of four at Le Moyne on the road.

Adelphi's Kyle Olson continues to lead all NE10 hitters in batting average this season (.465), while his teammate Matt Alifano ranks second (.407). New Haven's pitching staff, led by Thomas Eletto and his impressive 1.90 ERA (fourth-best in NE10), will look to shut down the Panthers' offense in Garden City.

Saint Anselm at Franklin Pierce: April 15 – 1:00 p.m. (DH) (Live Stats – Video)
Saint Anselm at Franklin Pierce: April 16 – 12:00 p.m. (DH) (Live Stats – Video)

In an important Northeast Division series this weekend, Saint Anselm will travel to play in-state foe Franklin Pierce in a four-game series with playoff positioning at stake. Currently the Ravens (16-8, 5-3 NE10) sit in third place of the divisional standings, while the Hawks (13-17, 6-6 NE10) are in fourth.

Saint Anselm's Kyle Maurice is having a big year, as he ranks fourth among all NE10 players in batting average (.396), RBI (31) and hits (40), and is tied for second in home runs (7). Maurice will have a tough test against the Franklin Pierce pitching staff, which ranks first among NE10 teams in ERA (3.30), earned runs allowed (72) and hits allowed (190). A pair of Ravens' pitchers, Kyle Roche (1.73) and Chaz Powell (1.80), are among the top three in ERA in the NE10.

SOFTBALL

Franklin Pierce at Adelphi: April 15 – 2:00 p.m. (DH) (Live Stats – Video)

It's a battle for first place when the Ravens travel south to face Adelphi. The Panthers are 10-2 in NE10 action while Franklin Pierce is 8-2. The two teams haven't played since 2019, when they split a DH in New Hampshire. Prior to that 4-3 win by the Ravens they had lost ten straight to Adelphi.

Franklin Pierce leads the NE10 in hitting at .314 while Adelphi is second at .304. The Panthers meanwhile, rank first in ERA at 1.73 with the Ravens close behind in second at 1.93. Adelphi's Courtney Wengryn leads the NE10 in RBI (30) and ranks second in average at .432, while Gina Hinckley is batting .407 with seven doubles, six home runs and 25 RBI for Franklin Pierce.

Bentley at Southern N.H.: April 16 - 12:00 p.m. (Live Stats – Video)

The Penmen are 8-4 in the NE10 and look to stay in the top third of the NE10 standings when Bentley comes to town for two games. The Falcons are just 3-7 in conference play this year, but 13-13 overall and 2-2 this week.

Bentley is ranked fourth in the NE10, hitting .281 as a team, as Jordan Krause ranks third in the conference with a .429 average with 21 runs and 11 extra base hits. The team is seventh in ERA at 3.27, while SNHU is ninth in ERA at 3.62. Offensively, the Penmen are hitting .252 this year, led by Bella Dickinson's .310 average.

WOMEN'S LACROSSE

No. 10 Le Moyne at No. 3 Adelphi: April 16 – 12:00 p.m. (Live Stats – Video)

It will be a top-10 showdown when lacrosse rivals Le Moyne and Adelphi meet on Saturday afternoon in Garden City. No. 3 Adelphi (11-0, 8-0 NE10) is the lone remaining undefeated NE10 team – both overall and in conference play – while No. 10 Le Moyne (9-3, 6-2 NE10) has won four-straight games against league opponents leading up to its big game against the Panthers.

Le Moyne's Jessica Meneilly leads all NE10 players with 42 goals this season, as part of the Dolphins having the NE10's second-ranked offensive attack – netting 15.67 goals per game this season. Adelphi continues to boast one of the nation's top defensive units, as the Panthers are allowing just 5.28 goals per game to opponents this season.

Le Moyne won two out of three matchups against Adelphi in the 2021 season, but lost the final meeting in the NE10 Championship semifinals. Adelphi went on to finish as NE10 runner-up in the Championship final.

Pace at Saint Anselm: April 16 – 3:00 p.m. (Live Stats – Video)

No. 12 Pace will visit No. 19 Saint Anselm on Saturday in a top-20 matchup, as both teams look to improve their playoff positioning for the NE10 Women's Lacrosse Championship. The Setters (8-4, 5-3 NE10) have won three of their last four games, including ranked wins over New Haven and Bentley, while the Hawks (6-4, 4-3 NE10) look to snap a three-game losing skid after a difficult stretch in their conference schedule (No. 3 Adelphi, No. 18 Assumption, No. 10 Le Moyne).

Pace's Kayla Conway, the reigning NE10 Player of the Week, ranks fourth among conference players in points (47) this season, while Lexi Palmisano is the leading goal scorer (34) – and tied for seventh in the NE10 in goals - for Saint Anselm. Pace is a top-three offense in the NE10 (15.08 goals per game), while Saint Anselm is a top-four defense (10.60 goals allowed per game).

MEN'S LACROSSE

No. 11 Pace at No. 16 Bentley: April 16 – 1:00 p.m. (Live Stats – Video)

The Setters and Falcons are currently tied for third in the NE10 standings at 5-2, and the team that earns the victory will likely earn a top-four seed in the NE10 Tournament. Pace has won three of four games while Bentley has dropped two of its last three.

This year the Setters have only allowed more than ten goals twice this season, in losses to Le Moyne and Adelphi. They also led the NE10 in scoring (15.5), while Bentley is ranked third in scoring at 13.3 goals per game. Pace's Kyle Casey leads the NE10 in scoring with 54 points while Louis Ragusa is third in the NE10 with a 61.8 save percentage. Offensively, Luke Jaber leads Bentley with 35 points.

Saint Rose at Assumption: April 16 – 1:00 p.m. (Live Stats – Video)

The Golden Knights started the season hot but have dropped five of seven to fall to 7-6 this year and 2-4 in the NE10. Assumption, meanwhile, is in the midst of a five-game losing streak and have only scored more than ten goals once in the last five games.

Saint Rose is averaging 11.5 goals per game this year, led by Eddie Baker's 34 goals and nine assists this season. Reigning NE10 Rookie of the Week Cameron Theriault has a team-high 20 points for the Assumption while Nolan Sheehan has 15 goals and four assists.