Manchester, N.H. (April 25)-The Saint Anselm College baseball team split with the American International College Yellow Jackets 4-1 and 8-13 on senior day at Sullivan Park on Saturday Afternoon. The split makes the Hawks 15-26 and 10-15 in NE-10 play, while the split makes AIC 7-28 and 5-18 in league games.

In game one, the Hawks hit the scoreboard in the bottom of the second on an RBI groundout from Melvin Perdue (Jonesboro, Georgia) scoring freshman first baseman Ben Waldrip (Medford, Mass.) who earlier doubled to lead off the inning.

The Yellow Jackets threatened with a bases loaded and no outs in the top of the third. Hawks starter Nick Barese (Braintree, Mass.) induced an infield fly and back-to-back strikeouts to get out of the jam.

Saint Anselm extended their lead in the bottom of the fourth on a two-RBI single from Matt Sucharewicz (Peabody, Mass.) scoring pinch runner Evan Kelleher (Haverhill, Mass.) and Waldrip for the 3-0 lead.

In the bottom of the seventh, Perdue took AIC starter Dillon Fontaine (Amenia, N.Y.) deep for his first career home-run and the 4-0 advantage.

American International finally hit the scoreboard in the ninth on a two-RBI triple from Tyler McElman (Marlborough, Mass.), but it would not be enough and the Hawks would prevail in the 4-2 NE-10 win.

Barese picked up his second win of the season going the distance allowing two earned runs and striking out a career high 13 batters in the victory. Fontaine went eight innings allowing five hits and three earned runs and struck out eight batters in the losing effort.

Before the start of the second game, the Hawks honored the class of 2009 in Alex Aguilar (Newbury, Mass.), Nick Barese (Braintree, Mass.), Ben Gunn (Vineyard Haven, Mass.) and Melvin Perdue (Jonesboro, Georgia).

In game two, the Yellow Jackets hopped on the scoreboard in the top of the first on a bases-loaded two-RBI single from catcher Anthony Arrichiello (Yonkers, N.Y.) to take a 2-0 lead. AIC continued to cross the plate when McElman drew an RBI walk for the 3-0 advantage. Saint Anselm starter Tim Cooney (E. Bridgewater, Mass.) got out of the bases-loaded pickle when third baseman Eric Simm (Salem, N.H.) turned the 553 double-play.

The Hawks struck back in the bottom half on an RBI sacrifice fly from Aguilar scoring second baseman Jeff Criscuolo (Durham, Conn.) to cut the lead to 3-1.

Arrichiello did damage again, this time in the top of the third, on an RBI double for the 4-1 lead. In the bottom half, Saint Anselm answered with a run of their own on an RBI sacrifice-fly from centerfielder TJ Murphy (Reading, Mass.) to cut the lead to 4-2.

AIC continued to add to their lead in the top of the fourth by adding three runs, led by Dan Bassani's (Naples, Florida) two-run home run for the 7-2 Yellow Jacket lead. Saint Anselm fought back in the bottom half again, this time adding three runs. Jimmy Garrigan's (Plymouth, Mass.) Waldrip's sacrifice fly and Gunn's RBI single through the left side fueled the Hawks attack to cut AIC's lead to 7-5.

The Yellow Jackets opened the game up, by adding two runs in the fifth and sixth innings to extend their lead to 11-5.

In the bottom of the seventh, the Hawks added two runs with an RBI single from Simm to make it 11-6 visitors. Perdue would then grab an RBI groundout scoring Aguilar to cut the AIC lead to 11-7.

Gunn made the game closer for the Hawks as he hit his first career round-tripper in the bottom of the eighth to slice the deficit to 11-8.

AIC would add two more in the top of the ninth for the 13-8 NE-10 victory.

Cooney went 3.2 innings allowing seven hits and seven earned runs with one strikeout in the loss, while AIC starter Dan Nugent (Cambridge, Mass.) went five innings allowing five earned runs in the win.

The Hawks return to action tomorrow, April 26th, as they will travel to AIC for a single game starting at 1 p.m.