ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – Freshman Mike Hayden (Cranston, R.I.) drove in a pair of runs, but the Saint Anselm College baseball team fell to Eckerd College, 6-4, Monday evening at the Turley Athletic Complex.

The Hawks drop to 3-5 on the season, while the Tritons improve to 8-4.

Saint Anselm struck first, scoring two runs in the top of the first on a two-run single by Hayden that scored junior Robert Kelly (Aurora, Colo.) and senior Dan DeCoste (Chelmsford, Mass.), who each singled to begin the two-out rally.

Eckerd would leapfrog the Hawks with three runs in the second on RBI singles by Joey LaRose, Joe McLemore and Dan Capra.

The Hawks pulled ahead, 4-3, in the fourth. Senior Jeff Criscuolo (Durham, Conn.) got aboard on a bunt single and later scored to tie the game when junior Andrew Chandler (Westford, Mass.) reached on an error. Sophomore Tito Lluberes (Lawrence, Mass.), who was hit by a pitch, scored on a balk.

The Tritons would knot the game at four in the bottom of the inning on a David Regidor sacrifice fly. Eckerd would add two more in the fifth when LaRose singled to lead off the inning and McLemore followed with a two-run homer to left that made it 6-4.

The Hawks would only have one base runner the rest of the way as Eckerd earned the two-game sweep.

Saint Anselm starter, senior Timothy Cooney (E. Bridgewater, Mass.) went the first four innings, giving up four runs on seven hits, while striking out three and walking three. Sophomore Zachary Brian (Stoneham, Mass.) was tagged with the loss as he allowed two runs on two hits and a walk in 0.2 innings. Sophomore Matt Lessard (Hooksett, N.H.) worked the final 3.1 shutout innings as he relinquished just two hits and a walk.

Hayden, Kelly, DeCoste, Criscuolo and sophomore Dan Lagasse (Londonderry, N.H.) all went 1-for-4, while sophomore Nate Gonya (Wolfeboro, N.H.) went 1-for-2 and Lluberes went 1-for-3

The Hawks return to action Thursday, March 1 at 3 p.m. when they take on Saint Leo University.