NO. ANDOVER, Mass. – Senior Timothy Cooney (E. Bridgewater, Mass.) tossed a complete-game shutout and freshman Mike Hayden (Cranston, R.I.) homered and drove in three runs as the Saint Anselm College baseball team kept rolling with a 7-0 shutout of Merrimack College on Friday afternoon at Warrior Diamond.
The first-place Hawks win their sixth straight to improve to 24-19-2 on the season, including 12-4-1 in the Northeast-10 Northeast Division, in which they currently sit in first place. The Hawks, who are unbeaten in their last seven, are now 8-1-1 over their last 10 and 12-3-1 over their last 16. The Warriors drop to 17-25, 4-10 NE-10 NE.
The Hawks scored first for the 10th time in their last 11 games, including the fifth straight, when sophomore Tito Lluberes (Lawrence, Mass.) singled to left, stole second and went to third on a throwing error by the catcher, and scored when junior Robert Kelly (Aurora, Colo.) drove him in with a groundout to second.
Saint Anselm added to its lead with a pair in the second. Hayden doubled to center with one out and moved to third on a passed ball as sophomore Nate Gonya (Wolfeboro, N.H.) drew the walk. Senior Jeffrey Criscuolo (Durham, Conn.) singled through the left side to plate Hayden before junior Andrew Chandler (Westford, Mass.) scored Gonya with a double to right-center that made it 3-0.
The Hawks doubled their lead in the sixth. After sophomore Dan Lagasse (Londonderry, N.H.) led off the frame with a double to right-center, Hayden homered down the left field line to widen the gap to five. Later in the inning, Chandler singled through the right side to bring in Gonya, who reached on an error, to make it 6-0.
Hayden helped the Hawks tack on another run in the eighth when he led off with a single to center. After Gonya's groundout moved Hayden to second, Criscuolo came through with a triple to center that brought him home and pushed the lead to 7-0.
Cooney (2-1) threw just the second complete game of his career and his first shutout. Cooney, who has now tossed 12.0 consecutive shutout innings, scattered nine hits, struck out three and did not walk a batter.
Hayden was 3-for-4 with a home run, three RBI and three runs scored. Criscuolo and Chandler were each 2-for-4 with a pair of RBI. Lluberes was 2-for-5 with a run, while Kelly and Lagasse were each 1-for-4; Kelly drove in a run and Lagasse scored a run.
The Hawks return to action Saturday, April 28 at noon when they play host to Stonehill College in doubleheader action on Senior Day.
