BELMONT, N.C. – Sophomore Dan Lagasse (Londonderry, N.H.) went 2-for-5 and drove in three runs, including the eventual winning run in the top of the ninth inning, as the Saint Anselm College baseball team captured the rubber game against Belmont Abbey College, 6-5, Sunday afternoon at Abbey Yard.
The Hawks will return home with a 2-1 record to start the season, while the Crusaders drop to 6-3.
Saint Anselm snapped a scoreless tie in the top of the fourth inning when they plated four runs – two earned – against Belmont Abbey starter Gabe Wallmeyer. Senior Jeffrey Criscuolo (Durham, Conn.) and junior Robert Kelly (Aurora, Colo.) moved to second and third, respectively, on a pass ball after both singled to begin the inning. After a strikeout, an RBI groundout by Lagasse and an RBI double by sophomore Nate Gonya (Wolfeboro, N.H.) made it 2-0.
Freshman Mike Hayden (Cranston, R.I.) was then hit by a pitch before sophomore Kyle Grumoli (So. Hadley, Mass.) reached on a throwing error that scored Gonya and moved Hayden to third. Junior Andrew Chandler (Westford, Mass.) followed with an RBI single to left and the Hawks had a 4-0 lead.
The Crusaders got one back in the fifth off Saint Anselm starter, senior John Healy (Cranston, R.I.), who was making his first start since May 1, 2010. After Healy nailed down the first two outs, Joey Frabasile reached on a fielding error and then scored on a throwing error after Emilio Pagan's double down the right field line.
Healy worked the first six innings, allowing the one unearned run on two hits, while striking out six and walking a batter.
Belmont Abbey then sliced their deficit to just a single run with two in the seventh off senior Timothy Cooney (E. Bridgewater, Mass.). Matt Mazzolla led off the inning with a homer to left before Frasabile singled up the middle to score Stephen Mullis, who followed Mazzolla's home run with a double to left center.
Lagasse made it 5-3 leading off the top of the eighth with Saint Anselm's first home run of the season.
The Crusaders answered with two in the bottom half of the inning off freshman David Kent (N. Falmouth, Mass.). With a runner on first and two out, Mazzolla walked before Mullis tripled down the right field line to score two runs that knotted the game at five.
After two quick outs in the top of the ninth, Criscuolo walked and moved to second on Kelly's infield single before a walk to junior Rett Ostafin (Avon, Conn.) loaded the bases. Lagasse then dropped a bloop single into left field to score Criscuolo with the go-ahead run to make it 6-5.
Frabasile began the bottom of the ninth with a single to left center before Kent struck Pagan out swinging. Sophomore Tito Lluberes (Lawrence, Mass.) then entered the game and picked up a strike out before inducing a fly ball to right field to end it.
Cooney gave up two earned runs on three hits in his inning of work, while Kent (1-0) recorded the victory after working 1.1 innings, giving up two earned runs on three hits, and striking out three and walking one. Lluberes tossed a perfect two-thirds of an inning to pick up his first save of the season.
Gonya went 2-for-5, drove in a run and scored another, while Kelly went 3-for-5 and scored a run.
The Hawks return to action Saturday, Feb. 25 at 6 p.m. when they kick off their Florida trip against Rollins College.
