Winter Park, Florida (March 7)-The Saint Anselm College baseball team fell to American International 10-9 on a walk-off grand slam, but followed it up with a 4-0 shutout victory over the Bentley Falcons at Alfond Stadium on Saturday afternoon. With the split the Hawks finish their Florida trip with a 3-8 record.

In the early afternoon loss to American International, the Yellow Jackets would score on a two-run home run from first baseman Kevin Farrell (Wilbraham, Mass.) in the bottom of the first inning off Hawk freshman Tim Cooney (E. Bridgewater, Mass.).

In the top of the third, Saint Anselm centerfielder TJ Murphy (Reading, Mass.) would crack a RBI double and score a run to even the game at 2-2.

After American International added a run in the bottom of the fourth and fifth, Saint Anselm would take the lead in the top of the sixth inning scoring three runs. The Hawks would lace back-to-back doubles from Matt Stone (West Roxbury, Mass.) and Matt Sucharewicz (Peabody, Mass.) to take the 5-4 lead.

The seventh inning would bring three more runs for the Hawks on back-to-back RBI singles from Stone and Sucharewicz for the 8-5 lead.

After the Yellow Jackets and Saint Anselm each added another run, American International would explode for five runs in the bottom of the ninth to sneak off with the 10-9 win. Farrell would hit his second home-run of the game, this time a grand slam, for the walk-off victory.

Cooney went seven innings allowing only three earned runs in the no decision, while Hawk closer David Giarrusso (Cranston, R.I.) took the loss allowing two runs in the ninth. John Hanna (Dudley, Mass.) picked up the win pitching two innings allowing only one run. 

Against the Falcons, Saint Anselm took the lead in the top of the second on a run scored by senior outfielder Alex Aguilar (Newbury, Mass.) on a RBI groundout from Eric Simm (Salem, N.H.) for the 1-0 lead.

In the top of the third, the Hawks extended their lead on a RBI single from Stone to score Murphy for the 2-0 lead.

Aguilar would add to the Saint Anselm lead on a sac-fly RBI scoring Murphy for the 3-0 advantage.

In the top of the ninth, Jeff Criscuolo (Durham, Conn.) knocked his first career RBI single to add an insurance run for the Hawks in the 4-0 final.

Freshman starting pitcher Ben Waldrip (Medford, Mass.) would throw seven shutout innings, giving up only three hits and striking out three in his first career win. Bentley starter Jared Marchesi (Peabody, Mass.) threw eight innings and allowed 10 hits and three runs in the losing effort.

The Hawks return to action on March 20th, with a road game at Post University at 3:30 p.m.