MANCHESTER, N.H. – Sophomore Robert Kelly (Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif.) and freshman Tito Lluberes (Lawrence, Mass.) each drove in five runs as the Saint Anselm College baseball team earned a sweep of Merrimack College on Sunday afternoon at Sullivan Park. The Hawks blanked the Warriors, 10-0, in game one, before recording a 13-1 victory in the second game.
The Hawks, who have now won four straight after a pair of weekend sweeps, improve to 15-14 on the season, including 6-7 in Northeast-10 play. The Warriors fall to 8-15, 1-9 NE-10.
In game one, Saint Anselm jumped on the board in the bottom of the first as they scored three times. After Lluberes was hit by a pitch, senior James Garrigan (Plymouth, Mass.) – fresh off a 4-for-4 performance in Saturday's nightcap against Pace University – homered to left-center to put the Hawks on top, 2-0. Classmate TJ Murphy (Reading, Mass.) drove in the third run on a fielder's choice groundout.
Saint Anselm added a single run in the second on a Lluberes double down the left field line, and another in the fourth on a Lluberes single to right. The Hawks then busted it open with a five-spot in the sixth, with Lluberes again doing the damage.
Following leadoff singles by junior Jeffrey Criscuolo (Durham, Conn.) and senior Steven Panza (Watertown, Mass.), Lluberes blasted a three-run home run to left center to give the Hawks an 8-0 advantage. With no one out, Garrigan doubled to left before Kelly hit a two-run shot to right-center, his eighth of the season.
That was more than enough offense for senior Kyle Lavin (Shelton, Conn.), who tossed a complete-game, three-hit shutout. Lavin (2-3) struck out two and walked a batter.
Lluberes finished 3-for-4 with a career-high five RBI and a pair of runs scored. Garrigan was 2-for-5 with two RBI and two runs scored, while Kelly was 1-for-3 with a pair of RBI and two runs scored. Freshman Dan Lagasse (Londonderry, N.H.) and Criscuolo were both 2-for-4 as part of Saint Anselm's 14-hit, 10-run attack.
Merrimack struck first in game two, picking up a run in the top of the first off starter Bret Bartlett (Duxbury, Mass.). Saint Anselm answered with another three-spot in the bottom half of the inning. After Lluberes drew a leadoff walk, he moved to third on a pair of failed pick-off attempts and then scored when sophomore Andrew Chandler (Westford, Mass.) reached after hitting a grounder that the shortstop could not field cleanly. Kelly then followed with his second home run of the day to straightaway centerfield that made it 3-1.
The Hawks then opened it up in the second with a two-out, four-run rally. Kelly sparked it with his second home run of the game and third of the day to right. After a double to right by junior Daniel DeCoste (Chelmsford, Mass.), sophomore Rhett Ostafin (Avon, Conn.) followed with an RBI single to left. Sophomore John DiBenedetto (Valrico, Fla.) came through with a single before a wild pitch scored Ostafin with the third run of the inning. Freshman Kyle Grumoli (South Hadley, Mass.) then doubled to right to make it 7-1.
Saint Anselm tacked on a run in the fourth when DeCoste hit a bomb to left that one-hopped the road and landed on a hill across the street. The Hawks broke it open with four in the fifth on an RBI double to left-center by Chandler and a three-run homer to center by freshman Nate Gonya (Wolfeboro, N.H.) – the first of his career.
The Hawks made it 13-1 in the sixth when Chandler hit a two-out single up the middle that scored Lagasse.
Bartlett was removed after three innings. He gave up one run – unearned – on two hits, while striking out three and not walking a batter. Junior Joe Latino (Holden, Mass.) earned the win, tossing a pair of scoreless innings. Latino (2-1) gave up just one hit, struck out three and did not issue a walk. Freshman Zachary Brian (Stoneham, Mass.) threw a hitless inning, while walking a pair and striking out one. Sophomore William O'Connor (Worcester, Mass.) went two scoreless innings, allowing just one hit. Freshman Derek Amoroso (Newport, Maine) pitched the final hitless inning, walking two and striking out one.
Kelly went 2-for-2 with two home runs, three RBI and two runs scored. Chandler was 2-for-5 with three RBI, while DeCoste was 4-for-5 with an RBI and a pair of runs. Grimoli was 2-for-5 with an RBI as the Hawks pounded out 15 hits.
The Hawks return to action Tuesday, April 12 (3:30 p.m.) when they make the short trip to take on Southern New Hampshire University.
