MANCHESTER, N.H. – Junior Neil Hesek (Northboro, Mass.) turned in a quality start in game one and sophomore Rett Ostafin (Avon, Conn.) came through with a timely two-run single in game two, but the Saint Anselm College baseball team was swept in doubleheader action by sixth-ranked Southern Connecticut State University on a rainy Monday afternoon at Sullivan Park. The Hawks were blanked, 3-0, in game one before falling 6-3 in the second game.
The Hawks drop to 18-19 on the season, including 8-10 in Northeast-10 play, while the Owls improve to 30-4-1, 15-4-1 NE-10.
Game one was scoreless into the seventh when Southern Connecticut State pushed three across the plate. Mike Cleary was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to break the deadlock, before T.J. Shea stroked a two-run double to center field that made it 3-0.
Saint Anselm could only muster seven hits against Southern Connecticut State starter Kevin Pettine (6-0), who went the distance for the shutout, while striking out four and walking two.
Hesek (1-6, 3.81 ERA) tossed seven innings, giving up three runs on five hits. He struck out four and walked three. Junior Joe Latino (Holden, Mass.) pitched the final two innings, allowing no runs on two hits, while striking out one and walking a batter.
Junior Dan DeCoste (Chelmsford, Mass.) put together the only multiple-hit game for the Hawks as he went 2-for-4.
The Owls jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the second inning of game two on Saint Anselm starter Kyle Lavin (Shelton, Conn.) when Nick DeProspo drove a two-run homer over the fence in left. Southern Connecticut State doubled its lead in the fourth on an RBI single to left by T.K. Kiernan and an RBI walk from Kyle Cummings.
The Hawks answered with one in the fourth on a DeCoste sacrifice fly, but the Owls put two more on the board in the seventh on a Cleary double to center that made it 6-1.
Saint Anselm started the comeback in the eighth, loading the bases with two outs for Ostafin, who sent a 2-2 offering back up the middle to plate a pair of runs and slice the deficit to 6-3. The Hawks would go 1-2-3 in the ninth, however, as the Owls escaped the Hilltop with a pair of wins.
Lavin went six innings, allowing four runs on seven hits. He also walked six and struck out three. Junior Bret Bartlett (Duxbury, Mass.) went 11/3 innings and relinquished two runs on four hits. Sophomore William O'Connor (Worcester, Mass.) worked the final 12/3 and allowed just one hit.
Ostafin went 2-for-2 with the two RBIs, while sophomore Joshua Lafond (Goffstown, N.H.) was 2-for-4.
The Hawks return to action Tuesday, April 26 at 3:30 p.m. when they travel to take on Stonehill College.
