ALBANY, N.Y. – Seven different players drove in runs as part of a 15-hit attack, and senior Kyle Lavin (Shelton, Conn.) tossed a complete game as the Saint Anselm College baseball team defeated the College of Saint Rose, 9-3, in game two of their doubleheader at Bellizzi Field on Sunday afternoon. Saint Rose took game one by a score of 9-5. The game was originally schedule to be played at Saint Anselm, but recent bad weather and unplayable field conditions forced the location change. The contest officially counts as a home game for Saint Rose, despite the fact that Saint Anselm batted in the home half of each inning.
The Hawks are now 11-12 on the season, including 3-5 in Northeast-10 play, while the Golden Knights move to 8-12, 2-6 NE-10.
Lavin (1-3) went nine innings, giving up three runs – one earned – on five hits. He struck out three and walked two.
Trailing 3-0 in the second, Saint Anselm jumped on the board after a two-out RBI single to center by freshman Dan Lagasse (Londonderry, N.H.). The Hawks struck for two more in the third to knot the game at two. After two quick outs, singles by sophomore Robert Kelly (Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif.) and senior Matt Sucharewicz (Peabody, Mass.) put runners at first and second before RBI singles by junior Daniel DeCoste (Chelmsford, Mass.) and senior TJ Murphy (Reading, Mass.) tied the game.
The Hawks went ahead in the fourth on a fielder's choice by freshman Tito Lluberes (Lawrence, Mass.) and an RBI single by Kelly, before breaking it open with three in the seventh. Once again after two quick outs, junior Jeffrey Criscuolo (Durham, Conn.) singled and moved to second on a wild pitch and Lagasse was hit with a pitch before senior Steven Panza (Watertown, Mass.) picked up an RBI with a single to center. After Panza stole second, Lluberes reached on an error that brought in two runs to make it 8-3. Saint Anselm tacked on an insurance run in the eighth on a sac fly by Sucharewicz, following lead-off singles by Kelly and senior James Garrigan (Plymouth, Mass.).
Kelly was 3-for-5, Garrigan was 3-for-4, DeCoste and Panza both went 2-for-4 and Lagasse was 2-for-3.
In game one, the Hawks rapped 14 hits and held a 4-1 lead through seven innings. Kelly (3-2) started and gave up just one run on five hits through the first seven. But in the eighth, Kelly ran into trouble as the Golden Knights erupted for seven runs on seven hits. Kelly's line closed at 7.1 innings, seven runs, eight hits and two strike outs. Junior Timothy Cooney (East Bridgewater, Mass.) worked the final 1.2, giving up two runs on four hits.
Trailing by five in the bottom of the ninth, the Hawks hit into two quick outs before DeCoste doubled to left and Murphy knocked him in with a single to center. Criscuolo walked and Lagasse singled to load the bases and bring the tying run to the plate, but Saint Rose recorded a timely strike out to end the threat.
Saint Anselm picked up single runs in the first and second on a sac fly by Kelly and a lead-off home run by DeCoste, respectively. The Hawks then scored two more in the fifth on a two-run single to right by Sucharewicz to go on top 4-1.
Garrigan and DeCoste both went 3-for-5, Sucharewicz and Lagasse were both 2-for-5 and Murphy went 2-for-4.
Saint Anselm returns to action Tuesday, April 5 at 3:30 p.m. when it heads south to take on the University of Massachusetts-Lowell.
