SAINT LEO, Fla. – Freshman Mike Hayden (Cranston, R.I.) drove in the lone run as the Saint Anselm College baseball team fell to Saint Leo University, 12-1, Thursday afternoon at Southard Stadium.
The Hawks drop to 3-6 on the season, while the Lions improve to 10-4.
Saint Leo grabbed a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first when Chris Newcomb reached on a fielder's choice and later scored on an error.
The Lions added two more in the second to make it 3-0. Daniel Torres grounded out to second, which plated Brendan Collins, who singled to right in the second at bat of the inning. Michael Revell, who followed Collins' single with a double down the right field line, scored on a wild pitch after the Torres groundout.
Newcomb made it 4-0 with an RBI triple down the left field line in the third. Newcomb then came around to make it 5-0 on an RBI single to left by Anthony Santa. Collins drove in the Lions' third run of the inning on a double to left-center.
Saint Leo then busted it open with a four-spot in the fourth. Taed Moses scored the first run of the inning when he scored on a wild pitch with the bases loaded. Santa then followed with a three-run homer to left that made it 10-0.
The Hawks jumped on the board in the fifth when Hayden doubled to left to score sophomore Nate Gonya (Wolfeboro, N.H.), who singled up the middle before Hayden came to the plate.
The Lions answered the run in the bottom of the inning when Revell led off with a triple to right-center and scored on a Torres sacrifice fly. They made it 12-1 in the sixth when Newcomb led off with a triple and scored when Santa grounded out to second.
Senior Joe Latino (Holden, Mass.) started and went three innings, giving up six runs – five earned – on seven hits. Junior James Farrington (W. Milford, N.J.) allowed four earned runs on two hits and a walk in 0.1 innings. Classmate William O'Connor (Worcester, Mass.) worked 2.2 innings and gave up two runs on three hits. Freshmen David Kent (N. Falmouth, Mass.) and Ryan Cosmopulous (Seekonk, Mass.) each tossed perfect innings. Cosmopulous struck out a pair of batters.
Hayden was 1-for-4, while sophomore Dan Lagasse (Londonderry, N.H.) and junior Richie Manzi (Plymouth, N.H.) each went 1-for-3. Gonya was 1-for-2 with the run scored and sophomore Mike DeSimone (Southwick, Mass.) was 1-for-1.
The Hawks return to action Friday, March 2 at noon when they take on Bentley University at Rollins College.