RINDGE, N.H. – On Friday, Pace University Baseball opened its four-game Northeast 10 series with a split against Franklin Pierce University. The Blue and Gold delivered a dominant performance in the opener with a 13–2 victory before the two teams clashed in a back-and-forth battle in game two that extended into extra innings, where Franklin Pierce walked off with a 10–9 win. The split moves Pace to 8–8 overall and 3–3 in the Northeast 10 (NE10) Conference.

Game One
Baseball came out swinging in the opener, erupting for five runs in the first inning. Justin Crispino worked a walk to start the rally before Brayden Sweppenhiser and Anthony Depetro each singled to load the bases. Manny Carreras drove in the first run, and Benjamin Tullo followed with a two-run single. Moments later, Cristian Rodriguez delivered a two-run double as the Setters jumped out to a 5–0 lead.

The Blue and Gold continued to add on in the fifth inning. Rocco Cimino doubled and later scored on a sacrifice fly from Depetro, while a balk brought home another run to extend the lead to 7–1.

Pace added insurance in the sixth when Sweppenhiser drove in a run, pushing the advantage to 8–1. After Franklin Pierce scored in the bottom half, the Setters broke the game open in the ninth inning. Tullo drew a bases-loaded walk before George Provel launched a grand slam to cap a five-run frame and seal the 13–2 victory.

On the mound, Aidan Kempf delivered a strong outing, allowing two runs over six innings while striking out five. Sean Costello followed with three scoreless innings to close out the win.

Game Two (10 innings)
The second game turned into a back-and-forth battle that extended into extra innings. Franklin Pierce struck first, but Pace answered in the third inning when Provel scored on a sacrifice fly from Cimino to tie the game at 1–1.

The Setters moved ahead in the fifth inning. Provel came around to score before Cimino added another sacrifice fly to make it 3–1. Franklin Pierce responded with a six-run fifth inning to take a 7–3 lead.

Pace answered in the sixth inning with a power surge. Provel launched a three-run home run before Tullo followed with a solo shot, tying the game at 7–7.
After Franklin Pierce regained the lead in the bottom of the sixth, the Blue and Gold responded again in the seventh as Depetro blasted a two-run home run to even the score at 9–9.

Both teams remained scoreless through the next two frames, sending the game to the 10th inning. Franklin Pierce ultimately walked it off in the bottom half, handing Pace a 10–9 loss.

Provel led the offense with three hits and three RBIs, while Depetro added two hits and two RBIs. Tullo also contributed with a home run and multiple RBIs in the effort.

On the day, the Setters had their way at the plate, totaling 18 hits throughout both games, which included the squad's third grand slam of the season. With impressive numbers on both ends of the diamond, Baseball continues its NE10 series against Franklin Pierce University on Saturday at 12:00 p.m.