MANCHESTER, N.H. – Senior John Healy (Cranston, R.I.) set a career high with 12 strikeouts, while allowing just one run over eight innings, but the Saint Anselm College baseball team dropped a 1-0 decision against seventh-ranked Southern New Hampshire University on Thursday evening in non-conference action at Penmen Field.
The Hawks fall to 7-10 on the season, while the Penmen improve to 17-2.
With the game in a scoreless deadlock, Healy exited the game when Matt Boulter singled up the middle to lead off the bottom of the ninth. Boulter moved to second when Andy Lalli dropped down a sac bunt against senior Sean Hayden (Haverhill, Mass.), who had just come on in relief. Jamie Wollerman followed with a sharp single to right that went by the dive of outstretched second baseman Richie Manzi (Plymouth, N.H.). Boulter rounded third as right fielder Daniel DeCoste (Chelmsford, Mass.) came up firing, and took a wide angle to the plate as he avoided the tag of catcher Nate Gonya (Wolfeboro, N.H.), who received the low throw and attempted to lunge back across the plate at Boulter.
Healy (3-1, 1.10 ERA) went eight innings, allowing one run on four hits, while striking out 12 and walking one. Hayden worked 0.1 innings and gave up a hit.
SNHU starter Tim Flight tossed a complete-game two-hit shutout as he struck out 18 batters and walked just one.
The Penmen put a threat together right away as Brendan O'Brien and Kevin Spatkowski began the first inning with singles. Healy responded by striking out Al Stanton and Boulter before Gonya caught O'Brien trying to swipe third.
Healy was forced to shut down another rally in the fourth. After Spatkowski struck out looking, Stanton reached and made it to second on an error before moving to third when Boulter flew out to center. Healy then induced a harmless pop-up into foul ground from Lalli to get out of the inning.
The Hawks responded in the top of the fifth when freshman Mike Hayden (Cranston, R.I.) led off with a double to center. Hayden moved to third with one out when Gonya executed a sacrifice bunt, but Flight struck out back-to-back batters to end the inning.
Saint Anselm put another runner on third with less than two outs in the sixth when sophomore Tito Lluberes (Lawrence, Mass.) was hit by a pitch. Lluberes moved to second on Manzi's sac bunt and then went to third on a wild pitch. Flight once again buckled down, however, and struck out consecutive batters to end the threat.
In the bottom half of the inning, SNHU loaded the bases with two outs, but did not score. Riley Palmer was hit by a pitch to begin the inning. After O'Brien popped up his bunt attempt, Spatkowski singled to center, which moved Palmer up 90 feet to second. Stanton then grounded out to third, but both Palmer and Spatkowski advanced. Boulter then walked to load the bases, but Healy got Lalli to strike out to get out of the jam.
Hayden and junior Rett Ostafin (Avon, Conn.) were both 1-for-3.
The Hawks return to action Saturday, March 24 when they head south to take on the University of New Haven in doubleheader action that begins at noon. The Hawks open their home slate Wednesday, March 28 at 3:30 p.m. when they play host to Franklin Pierce University at Sullivan Park.
