RINDGE, N.H. – Senior Matt Sucharewicz (Peabody, Mass.) drove in a run and junior Neil Hesek (Northboro, Mass.) pitched into the seventh inning, but the Saint Anselm College baseball team dropped a 2-1 decision to 14th-ranked Franklin Pierce University at Pappas Field on Tuesday afternoon in both teams' conference opener.
The Hawks even their record at 8-8 (0-1 Northeast-10), while the Ravens improve to 15-4, 1-0 NE-10.
Sucharewicz was 2-for-2 with a walk and an RBI, while Hesek went 6.2 innings and gave up two runs and scattered eight hits. He struck out four and walked three (one intentionally).
Franklin Pierce scored single runs in the second and third innings on a sac fly by Nick LaCroix and a single by Zach Mathieu, respectively.
After senior James Garrigan (Plymouth, Mass.) doubled into the gap in right-center to lead off the top of the sixth and then moved to third on a balk by Franklin Pierce starter Brian Maloney, Sucharewicz hit a fly ball to center that scored Garrigan and cut the Saint Anselm deficit in half.
The Hawks moved the tying run into scoring position in the ninth after Sucharewicz drew a one-out walk and pinch runner Andrew Chandler (Westford, Mass.) stole second. Maloney closed the door, however, putting the finishing touches on his four-hit complete game. The lefty relinquished just the one run while striking out a career-high 17 and walking one. Maloney eclipsed the mark for most career strikeouts in Franklin Pierce history in the second inning.
Saint Anselm returns to action Thursday, March 24 (3:30 p.m.) against Franklin Pierce.
