HANOVER, N.H. – The Saint Anselm baseball team travelled to Hanover, N.H., this afternoon to take on the Division-I Dartmouth College Big Green.  The Hawks kept the game close against the Big Green, who is currently tied for first place in the Rolfe Division of the Ivy League with an 8-4 league record.  However, the Big Green pulled ahead in the middle innings to take a 5-3 victory over the Hawks, lifting them to 18-12 on the season.  The loss drops the Hawks to 10-23 (8-11 NE-10).

The Hawks got off to a good start in the top of the first, as Eric Baca (Franklin, N.H.) and Robert Kelly (Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif.) hit a pair of one-out singles.  The two staged a double steal to make it second and third with one out, but Big Green starter Michael Johnson then struck out Rett Ostafin (Avon, Conn.) and David Giarrusso (Cranston, R.I.) to avoid giving up an early run.

After stranding a leadoff walk in the bottom of the second, the Big Green got its first key chance to score in the bottom of the third.  Brandon Parks led off in the inning with a single up the middle.  After David Turnbull struck out, Sam Bean hit a double to left-center to make it second and third with one out.  However, Chris O'Dowd then flew into a double play, as right fielder Rett Ostafin threw Parks out at the plate to end the inning. 

However, in the bottom of the fourth, Joe Sclafani manufactured a run for the Big Green, getting on with a leadoff walk, stealing second and third, and coming home on a sacrifice fly by Jeff Onstott, to go ahead 1-0.  Dartmouth then made it 2-0 in the bottom of the fifth, as Jason Brooks led off the inning with a triple to right center and was driven home by Brandon Parks' RBI single through the right side. 

Catcher Eric Baca revived the Hawks' offense in the top of the fifth, leading off with a double to left.  Kelly moved him over to third with a groundout to second, and then Rett Ostafin got hit by a pitch.  Ostafin and Baca then combined for a double steal, as Baca crossed the plate to score the Hawks' first run of the game and cut the Big Green's lead in half.

Nevertheless, three walks, a balk, a double and a two-RBI triple in the bottom of the sixth put the Big Green back ahead 5-1.  O'Dowd led off the inning with a walk.  Baca threw him out on his way to second, but Sclafani then walked to replace him on first.  Jim Wren made it second and third with a double to right center, and the two moved during Onstott's at-bat due to a balk by reliever James Farrington (West Milford, N.J.).  Onstott drew the third walk of the inning, and Brooks then hit his second triple of the game to drive in Wren and Onstot and give the Big Green its biggest lead of the day.

The Hawks put together a two-out rally in the top of the sixth, as Andrew Chandler (Westford, Mass.), Richie Manzi (Plymouth, N.H.), Eric Baca, and Robert Kelly each hit consecutive singles and then Rett Ostafin walked to load the bases, representing the go-ahead run.  However, David Giarrusso then popped up to the shortstop to end the inning, stranding three, but not before the Hawks scored two runs, cutting their deficit down to two.

Mike Fantini (Haverhill, Mass.) shut the Big Green down 1-2-3 in the bottom of the seventh and got Sclafani to ground out to him to start the eighth before he was replaced by Timothy Cooney (E. Bridgewater, Mass.).  Wren got on base with a throwing error by third baseman Daniel DeCoste (Chelmsford, Mass.), and Onstott then hit a single to right.  The two runners advanced on a wild pitch, but then shortstop Richie Manzi saved the Hawks a run, throwing out pinch-runner Brett Gardner at the plate.  Cooney then struck out Brooks for the final out of the inning, but the Big Green still led 5-3 heading into the final inning.

Manzi continued to be productive, leading off the top of the ninth with a single through the left side.  John DiBenedetto (Valrico, Fla.) kept it going with an infield single, and Kelly put the tying run on second base with a groundout to second.  Rett Ostafin struck out for the second out of the inning, and the Big Green then intentionally walked pinch-hitter Matt Sucharewicz (Peabody, Mass.) to load the bases and put the go-ahead run on first base.  However, Daniel DeCoste then struck out looking to leave the bases loaded, forcing the Hawks to take the loss, 5-3.

The two teams combined to go through nine pitchers in today's game.  Hawk starter Matt Stone (West Roxbury, Mass.) allowed just three hits and a walk in three shutout innings. James Farrington allowed all five runs on four hits and four walks in the next three innings.  Mike Fantini retired all four batters he faced, and Timothy Cooney closed out the bottom of the eighth allowing one hit in 0.2 innings. 

Michael Johnson picked up his first win of the season, allowing just one run on five hits while striking out six in 5.1 innings.  Dan Ternowchek retired both batters he faced to finish off the sixth inning.  Max Langford allowed two runs on four hits in 0.2 innings.  Colin Britton then gave up just one hit over the next 1.1 innings, and Ryan Smith picked up the save, allowing two hits and a walk while striking out two in the top of the ninth.

Eric Baca led the Hawks at the plate, going 3-for-4 with a double, a stolen base, a run, and an RBI.  Richie Manzi, Robert Kelly and Joshua Lafond (Goffstown, N.H.) each collected two hits in the game.  Jason Brooks had a career day at the plate, hitting back-to-back triples in the fifth and sixth innings and adding a run and two RBI.

The Hawks outhit the Big Green 12-8, but they left 12 runners on base compared to the Big Green's five, including leaving the bases loaded twice, which made all the difference in the game.

The Hawks return home tomorrow to host the Southern New Hampshire University Penmen in their second of three matchups this season.  The Northeast-10 conference game will begin at 3:30 pm.