MANCHESTER, N.H. – The Saint Anselm baseball team dropped their sixth straight game this afternoon in a Sunday doubleheader against the Stonehill College Skyhawks.  The Skyhawks have now won six of their past seven games, defeating the Hawks 7-5 in game one before winning 7-4 in the non-conference night cap.  The Skyhawks improve to 22-16 (14-9 NE-10), while the Hawks sink to 10-28 (8-15 NE-10).

Game 1 (Northeast-10 Conference): Stonehill 7, Saint Anselm 5

The Skyhawks got off to a quick start in the top of the first, as Mitch Davis led off with a walk.  Scott Hackett hit the ball to second baseman Steven Panza (Watertown, Mass.) who tried to force the out at second, but his throw was off line and both runners were safe.  Rich McHugh hit an RBI double to left field and Angelo Bruno drove in Hackett with an RBI groundout to short to put the Skyhawks up 2-0 after the first half inning.

The Hawks stranded two runners in each of the first three innings, and in the top of the third, Mitch Davis scored a third run for the Skyhawks with a leadoff double followed by a two-base throwing error on the next play by third baseman Daniel DeCoste (Chelmsford, Mass.).

The Hawks shook things up in the bottom of the fourth, as Joshua Lafond (Goffstown, N.H.) and Steven Panza both got on with one out due to errors by starting shortstop Brendan Shepard.  Richie Manzi (Plymouth, N.H.) followed them with an RBI single to right center, and James Garrigan (Plymouth, Mass.) loaded the bases with a single to center.  Robert Kelly (Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif.) walked in a run, and Matt Sucharewicz (Peabody, Mass.) drove in Manzi on a sacrifice fly to deep center field, tying the game at three runs apiece.

Both teams went down 1-2-3 in the fifth, but with two outs in the sixth inning, Shane Franz put the Skyhawks back out in front with a solo home run over the wall in left center.  The Hawks threatened in the bottom half of the inning with two singles, but both base runners got thrown out trying to steal second, and the Hawks did not put another runner on base until the bottom of the ninth.

Starting pitcher John Healy (Cranston, R.I.) stranded the bases loaded in the top of the seventh, but Hawk reliever David Giarrusso (Cranston, R.I.) started the top of the eighth by hitting Matt Skane with a pitch.  After drawing two quick groundouts to second base, Giarrusso allowed an RBI single to Rob Von Stein, before striking out Michael Zeiner to end the inning.

The Skyhawks put together a two-out rally in the top of the ninth to put up two more key runs.  It all started with a two-out walk by Rich McHugh.  Bruno made it first and second with an infield single, and Nardacci drove in McHugh on a single to right center.  Michael White then hit a double to left center, scoring Bruno, but leftfielder Rett Ostafin (Avon, Conn.) threw out Nardacci on his way to third via catcher Matt Sucharewicz, who threw it to pitcher Mike Fantini (Haverhill, Mass.) who made the tag to end the inning.

The Hawks entered the bottom of the ninth inning looking to overcome a four-run deficit, trailing 7-3.  The first two Hawk batters got out, but Garrigan, Kelly and Sucharewicz put together consecutive two-out singles to keep the game alive. Matt Stone (West Roxbury, Mass.) got on by an error by the third baseman to score Garrigan, and Ostafin walked to score Kelly, but DeCoste struck out on a 3-2 pitch to end the game with a final score of 7-5.

After getting five hits in yesterday's night cap at Southern Connecticut, Garrigan kept his bat hot in this game, going 4-for-5 with a run scored.  Robert Kelly stayed consistent as well, going 2-for-3 with a walk, a run, and an RBI.

Hawk starter John Healy allowed four runs, two earned, on six hits while striking out six in seven full innings, taking the loss.  David Giarrusso allowed one run on one hit in the eighth, and Mike Fantini gave up two runs on three hits in the top of the ninth.

Alex McCormick picked up his fourth win of the season, allowing three unearned runs on seven hits while striking out five in six innings.  Dan Corrigan threw two perfect frames, and Michael Von Stein allowed the final two unearned runs on three hits in the bottom of the ninth.

Game 2 (Non-conference): Stonehill 7, Saint Anselm 4

Ryan Healey hit a leadoff single to left field in the top of the second to head off the Skyhawks' offense in game two.  Franz moved him to second with a groundout to second, and White got on first due to a throwing error by shortstop Richie Manzi.  Steven Popp walked to load the bases, and James DeAlto hit a sacrifice fly to deep left field to score Healey.  White and Popp pulled off a double steal, and Zeiner walked to reload the bases, but Nardacci grounded into a force play to short to end the inning after scoring just one run.

The Hawks responded in the bottom of the second as DeCoste hit a one-out single down the left field line.  Rett Ostafin hit a double to left, and Matt Greeke (S. Hamilton, Mass.) walked to load the bases.  John DiBenedetto (Valrico, Fla.) hit a grounder to second base and just beat out the double play at first, allowing DeCoste to tie the game at one.  The Hawks then took the lead in the bottom of the third, as Kelly walked, got to second on a wild pitch, and was driven home on a double down the left field line by Matt Sucharewicz. 

The Skyhawks tied the game in the top of the fourth as White led off with a single down the right field line.  He got to second base on a throwing error by catcher John DiBenedetto, and Popp scored him on a single to right center.  They then took a 4-2 lead in the top of the fifth on a two-run homer by Healey.

The Hawks quickly got those two runs back in the bottom of the fifth, starting with leadoff batter James Garrigan getting hit by a pitch.  Robert Kelly then hit a double to left center, making it second and third with nobody out.  Sucharewicz scored Garrigan on a grounder to short, and DeCoste sent Kelly across the plate on a sacrifice fly, tying the game at four.

Steven Popp led off the top of the sixth with a single to center.  James DeAlto followed with a single to right.  Right fielder James Garrigan gunned the ball in to try and catch Popp on his way to third, but he overthrew the base, allowing Popp to score and putting DeAlto on third.  Michael Zeiner then drove in DeAlto with a sacrifice fly, putting the Skyhawks up 6-4. 

The Skyhawks added another unearned run in the top of the eighth, as Nardacci reached first on the Hawks' sixth error of the game, stole second, and scored on a single by Michael Magnussen. 

The Hawks, who had not had a hit since Kelly's double in the fifth inning, entered the bottom of the ninth trailing 7-4.  Richie Manzi hit a two-out single up the middle to keep the Hawks' hopes alive, but Garrigan flew out to center to end the game.

Skyhawk catcher Ryan Healey went 3-for-5 with a home run, two RBI and two runs scored.  Robert Kelly extended his hitting streak to seven games, going 1-for-3 with a walk, a double, and two runs.

Bryan Galligan tabbed his third win in the game, allowing four runs on five hits and three walks in the first six innings.  Matt Olsen struck out three batters in two scoreless innings, and Joe SantaBarbara allowed one hit in the bottom of the ninth. 

Timothy Cooney (E. Bridgewater, Mass.) took his third loss of the season, allowing six runs, four earned, on eight hits while striking out five in five innings.  Eric Simm (Salem, N.H.) allowed one unearned run on two hits in three innings, and Myke Fortier surrendered one hit in the ninth.

The Hawks begin their final week of competition with a non-conference game against the Southern New Hampshire University Penmen at 3:30 pm on Tuesday, April 27.