BENNINGTON, Vt. – Senior third baseman Joe Sleeman (Rochester, N.Y./Greece Athena) hit a two-out RBI single to drive home freshman designated hitter Brad Crickard (Strafford, N.H./Coe-Brown Northwood) with the winning run in the top of the ninth inning to give Norwich a 9-8 victory over Southern Vermont College Thursday, March 29, at Epstein Field. With the win the Cadets improve to 2-13.

Sleeman went 3-for-6, his second straight three-hit game and third of the season. He is now hitting a team-high .317 on the year and leads the squad with 13 hits.

Sophomore centerfielder Charles Schaub (East Hampton, Conn./East Hampton) went 4-for-4 with three doubles and three RBIs to power Norwich (2-13) at the plate. Senior shortstop Devin Robbins (Monmouth, Maine/Monmouth Academy) added a two-out two RBI single in the top of the fifth inning.

Junior starter Ben Kleiner (Cheshire, Mass./Cheshire) went 6.1 innings for the Cadets, allowing six hits and three earned runs while striking out two. Senior Alexandro Cardoza (Cicero, Ill./Cristo Rey Jesuit) worked the eighth inning to earn the win and move his record to 1-2.

Greg Gilmore went 5.1 innings on the hill for Southern Vermont (4-14), conceding four earned runs on nine hits. Dustyn Marfyak (0-1) took the loss for the Mountaineers. Max Ginter went 2-for-2 with a double, a RBI and two runs scored to lead SVC on offense.

Norwich left ten runners on base to Southern Vermont's six.

NU opens conference play Saturday, March 31, when it travels to Newton, Mass., to take on Lasell for a doubleheader. Game one is scheduled to get underway at 12 p.m.