NASHUA, N.H. – Sophomore Aidan Vining struck out 12 in seven innings of work for the JWU (Providence) baseball team in a 9-2 win at Rivier University Sunday afternoon in Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) action at Holman Stadium.

The defending conference pitcher of the year scattered eight hits and walked a pair to improve to 5-1 on the season. Offensively, junior Xavier Botelho hit his second home run of the season – a two-run inside-the-park round tripper in the seventh – and classmate Trevor Juan laced a two-run triple in the second.

JWU scored five times in the second to open the scoring – two of which were unearned and another which scored on a bases-loaded walk by junior Ryan St. Jean. A two-run home run by Rivier in the fourth cut its deficit to 5-2, but an RBI triple off the bat of senior EJ Leone in the seventh, followed by a run-scoring single from junior Owen Davis and Botelho's home run, pushed the lead to 9-2.

Juniors Nick Calenda and Justin Markell each tossed an inning of scoreless relief to help the Wildcats reach the 20-win mark for the second consecutive season.