MANCHESTER, N.H. – Junior Robert Kelly (Aurora, Colo.) went 3-for-4 with a pair of RBI and senior Dan DeCoste (Chelmsford, Mass.) hit a key three-run homer as the Saint Anselm College baseball team kept its grip on first place in the Northeast-10 Northeast Division with a 9-5 victory against 12th-ranked Southern New Hampshire University on Thursday afternoon at Sullivan Park.
The first-place Hawks win their fifth straight to improve to 23-19-2 on the season, including 11-4-1 in the Northeast-10 Northeast Division. The Hawks, who are unbeaten over their last six, are now 7-1-1 over their last nine and 11-3-1 over their last 15. The Penmen lose to Saint Anselm for the second time in three days to drop to 34-11, 10-8 NE-10 NE.
The Hawks once again played the role of aggressor as they jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the second. After sophomore Dan Lagasse (Londonderry, N.H.) drew a walk to lead off the frame, freshman Mike Hayden (Cranston, R.I.) singled to right-center to put two on with none out. Sophomore Nate Gonya (Wolfeboro, N.H.) dropped down a bunt to advance the runners, but the throw to first eluded the first baseman and rolled out of play as Lagasse came around to score.
Saint Anselm added to its lead with a five-run fourth inning. Gonya and senior Jeffrey Criscuolo (Durham, Conn.) led off with back-to-back singles and were moved up 90 feet on a sacrifice bunt by junior Andrew Chandler (Westford, Mass.). The Hawks then grabbed a 2-0 lead when sophomore Tito Lluberes (Lawrence, Mass.) executed the suicide squeeze to plate Gonya.
Manzi followed with a single up the middle to drive in Criscuolo and give the Hawks a three-run advantage. After Kelly singled to right, DeCoste hammered a 1-0 pitch over the center field fence to stake the Hawks to a 6-0 lead.
The Penmen got a run back in the fifth against senior Joe Latino (Holden, Mass.), who relived Saint Anselm starter, sophomore Zachary Brian (Stoneham, Mass.), to begin the third inning. Jamie Wollerman led off the frame with a double to right-center, moved to third on Bryan Toland's groundout and scored on Matt Boulter's sac fly to right.
The Hawks opened up an eight-run lead in the bottom of the inning with a three-spot against SNHU reliever A.J. Dusablon. Hayden led off the inning with a walk and then stole second before Dusablon recorded back-to-back strikeouts. Chandler then singled through the left side and swiped second to put a pair in scoring position. Lluberes walked to load the bases, while junior Richie Manzi (Plymouth, N.H.) followed with a walk to push across Saint Anselm's seventh run. Kelly then drove in Chandler and Lluberes with a single to right that made it 9-1.
Southern New Hampshire made things interesting with four runs in the ninth. Darrin Standish and Alejandro Diaz drew bases loaded walks against sophomore Matt Lessard (Hooksett, N.H.) before James McGowan drove in a pair with a single up the middle to make it 9-5. Lluberes then moved from short to the mound and induced a shallow fly to right off the bat of Toland to close it out.
Brian worked two hitless innings, walking two and striking out two. Latino (3-1) earned the win as he tossed four innings, allowing a run on four hits, while striking out a batter. Junior William O'Connor (Worcester, Mass.) pitched two scoreless frames, giving up a hit and three walks to go along with a pair of strikeouts. Lessard went 0.2 innings and relinquished four runs on two hits and four walks, while striking out one. Lluberes earned his second save of the season as he retired the only batter he faced.
SNHU starter Jon Massad lasted four innings, allowing six runs on eight hits, while walking one and striking out one.
Kelly went 3-for-4 with a pair of RBI and a run scored, while DeCoste was 1-for-5 with a home run, three RBI and a run scored. Hayden was 2-for-3 with a run scored, while Gonya was 2-for-5 and scored a run. Lluberes and Manzi were each 1-for-3; Lluberes drove in a run and scored a run, while Manzi collected two RBI and scored once.
The Hawks return to action Friday, April 27 at 3:30 p.m. when they wrap up their season series with Merrimack College at Warrior Diamond. The next home game for the Hawks is Saturday, April 28 at noon when they play host to Stonehill College in doubleheader action on Senior Day.
