BELMONT, N.C. – Sophomore Nate Gonya (Wolfeboro, N.H.) went 2-for-3 and drove in three runs and senior Sean Hayden (Haverhill, Mass.) gave up one earned run over five innings as the Saint Anselm College baseball team opened its season by splitting a doubleheader with Belmont Abbey College at Abbey Yard on Saturday afternoon. Belmont Abbey captured the first game, 9-0, while Saint Anselm came back in game two and earned a 10-2 victory.
The Hawks begin the season 1-1, while the Crusaders are now 6-2.
In the nightcap, the Hawks went up 1-0 in the second after Gonya's sacrifice fly scored senior Daniel DeCoste (Chelmsford, Mass.), who walked and moved all the way to third when sophomore Dan Lagasse (Londonderry, N.H.) reached on an error. The Hawks then added four in the third, with all the runs being unearned on three Belmont Abbey errors.
The Crusaders began to chip away with single runs in the fourth and fifth, but the Hawks got one back in the sixth to make it 6-2 when junior Andrew Chandler (Westford, Mass.) singled to center to score Gonya, who singled up the middle leading off the inning.
Saint Anselm then blew it open in the seventh as they hung a four-spot on the Crusaders. After junior Robert Kelly (Aurora, Colo.) walked and moved to second on a DeCoste single, Lagasse walked to load the bases. Gonya then doubled into the right-center field gap to score two runs. Sophomore Kyle Grumoli (So. Hadley, Mass.) followed with a two-run pinch-hit single to center and the Hawks had a 10-2 lead.
Hayden earned the victory as he went the first five innings and allowed two runs – one earned – on five hits, while striking out four and not walking a batter. Kelly worked the final two shutout innings, giving up one hit and a walk and striking out a pair.
DeCoste and Kelly joined Gonya by also going 2-for-3. All three batters each scored two runs.
In game one, Steven Thiele held the Hawks to just four hits through six innings, while striking out four.
Sophomore Tito Lluberes (Lawrence, Mass.) went 2-for-2, while Lagasse was 2-for-3 and Grumoli went 1-for-2.
Stephen Mullis staked Belmont Abbey to a 2-0 lead with a two-run homer in the top of the first inning off Saint Anselm starter, senior Neil Hesek (Northboro, Mass.). The Crusaders put four more on the board in the third, highlighted by an Emilio Pagan two-run single.
Hesek lasted 2.1 innings as he gave up six runs on four hits, while walking three and striking out one.
Belmont Abbey plated three more in the fourth to grab a 9-0 lead.
Senior Joe Latino (Holden, Mass.) worked 1.1 innings, relinquishing three runs on two hits, while walking four and striking out one. Sophomore Zachary Brian (Stoneham, Mass.) tossed 3.1 innings of shutout ball. He gave up five hits, two walks and struck out two. Junior William O'Connor (Worcester, Mass.) pitched the last shutout inning, allowing a hit and walking two.
The Hawks return to action Sunday, Feb. 12 at noon when they wrap up their three-game set with the Crusaders.
