MANCHESTER, N.H. – Junior Robert Kelly (Aurora, Colo.) threw eight solid innings in game one, while classmate Andrew Chandler (Westford, Mass.) went 5-for-5 in the second game, but the Saint Anselm College baseball team dropped a pair of games to Stonehill College on Saturday afternoon at Sullivan Park on Senior Day. Stonehill posted a 2-0 shutout in the first game, before pulling out a 7-6 victory in 13 innings in the second game.
The Hawks saw their six-game win streak snapped as they fall to 24-21-2 on the season, including 12-6-1 in the Northeast-10 Northeast Division, in which they currently sit in second place after Franklin Pierce University's sweep of Merrimack College. The Skyhawks improve to 26-17, 9-7 NE-10 NE.
The first game featured a pitcher's duel between Kelly and Michael White.
The game was scoreless until the top of the sixth when Stonehill grabbed a pair of unearned runs. The Skyhawks went on top, 1-0, when Billy Karalis singled to right to drive in Michael Zeiner, who reached on an error. White, who, like Kelly, also bats when he pitches, scored the second run on a wild pitch.
White retired 12 of the final 15 batters he faced to nail down the win for Stonehill.
Kelly worked eight innings, allowing two runs – none earned – on six hits, while striking out three and walking two. Freshman David Kent (N. Falmouth, Mass.) pitched a scoreless ninth, giving up a hit and striking out a batter.
White went the distance, scattering seven hits, while walking three and striking out two.
Junior Richie Manzi (Plymouth, N.H.) went 2-for-4, while senior Jeffrey Criscuolo (Durham, Conn.) was 1-for-3. Sophomore Tito Lluberes (Lawrence, Mass.), senior Dan DeCoste (Chelmsford, Mass.), freshman Mike Hayden (Cranston, R.I.) and sophomore Nate Gonya (Wolfeboro, N.H.) were all 1-for-4.
The Hawks grabbed the first run in the third inning of game two Hayden drove in Manzi, who led off the frame with a walk, with a single to left.
Saint Anselm added to its lead with three runs in the fourth. Chandler led off with an infield single and went to second when the throw from the shortstop got away. Lluberes followed with a single that moved Chandler to third. Chandler then scored to make it 2-0 when the throw from Stonehill starter Zach Soulier, on a Lluberes pickoff attempt, rolled away from the first baseman.
After Lluberes went first-to-third on a Manzi single that bounced past the shortstop, he scored when DeCoste reached on a fielder's choice later in the inning. DeCoste then scored to make it 4-0 when sophomore Dan Lagasse (Londonderry, N.H.) doubled off the wall in right with two outs.
The Hawks extended their lead to 5-0 in the sixth when Manzi doubled to right-center, advanced to third on a wild pitch and scored when DeCoste dumped a single into right-center.
Stonehill finally caught up to Saint Anselm starter, senior Sean Hayden (Haverhill, Mass.), with a controversial four-spot in the seventh. Dan Fratus led off with a single to center and advanced when Karalis hit a ball down the first base line that appeared to go foul, but the umpire ruled it hit the bag and the Skyhawks had runners at the corners with no one out.
Steven Popp followed by lofting a 3-2 pitch to right that looked to be a routine fly ball, but the wind – blowing straight out to right – carried the ball over the fence for a three-run homer. That spelled the end of Hayden's day as junior William O'Connor (Worcester, Mass.) entered the game. Michael Magnussen jumped on the first pitch he saw from O'Connor and drove it over the right field fence to make it 5-4.
Saint Anselm grabbed one back in the bottom of the inning when Criscuolo tripled to right-center and scored when Chandler singled up the middle to give the Hawks a two-run cushion at 6-4.
Stonehill trimmed its deficit to one in the eighth when Zeiner singled to right, went to third on Fratus' double to center and scored when Kent entered for his second appearance of the day and got Karalis to ground out.
The Skyhawks then tied it in the ninth against Saint Anselm closer, junior James Farrington (W. Milford, N.J.). Matt Anziano started the rally with a walk before being lifted for pinch runner James DeAlto. Pidgeon was hit by a pitch as he attempted to drop down a bunt to move DeAlto to second. Billy Horobin then executed the sac bunt to third with two strikes and moved both runners into scoring position.
Zeiner then lifted a sac fly to right to score DeAlto and move Pidgeon to third. After the Hawks issued a free pass to White and he stole second, Farrington reached back and struck out Fratus swinging to end the inning.
Saint Anselm threatened in the bottom half of the ninth, putting a pair on. After Chandler looped a single over the head of the shortstop and into left field, Stonehill brought in its closer, Michael Von Stein. Lluberes singled down to the right field to put two on with one out, but Von Stein got Manzi to fly out to right before Kelly grounded out to third to end the inning.
Stonehill threatened against senior Joe Latino (Holden, Mass.) in the top of the 11th. Colin Shepard drew a leadoff walk, moved to second on Pidgeon's groundout to third and went to third on Horobin's groundout to short. After Zeiner walked to put runners at the corners, White grounded to second where the ball was bobbled by Manzi, but he recovered in time to throw out White, who dove head-first into first base.
The Hawks also put together a good scoring chance in the 11th. Criscuolo reached on an error, went to second on Chandler's sac bunt, and moved to third when Lluberes grounded out to short. Von Stein induced a grounder to third off the bat of Manzi to end the inning.
Latino played magician in the 12th, escaping a seemingly impossible jam. Back-to-back singles by Fratus and Karalis put runners at the corners with no one out. Popp followed with what looked like the go-ahead RBI single back up the middle, but Latino knocked the ball down with his cleat and threw Popp out at first as Karalis moved up to second with one out.
After a meeting at the mound, the Hawks intentionally walked Magnussen to load the bases. Shepard then hit a ground ball into the hole at short, where Lluberes, knocked the ball down, collected it and fired home to get the force on Fratus for the second out of the inning. Latino completed his act by getting Pidgeon to fly out to right to end the inning.
Latino was not as lucky in the 13th, however, as Stonehill pushed across the potential game-winning run. After Latino recorded two quick outs, White singled up the middle past the dive of Manzi and then scored when Karalis doubled off the base of the wall in right.
Saint Anselm put together a rally in the bottom of the frame, but came up short. After Hayden drew a leadoff walk, sophomore Kyle Grumoli (So. Hadley, Mass.) pinch ran for him at first. Gonya took two straight balls from Von Stein before Stonehill brought in Bryan Galligan, who issued two straight balls to put a pair on with no one out.
Criscuolo followed with a deep fly ball to left-center that was caught and did not advance either runner. Chandler then flared a single to left to load the bases. Lluberes hit a shallow fly to right that was caught by Karalis, who threw a strike to the plate to nail Grumoli to end the game.
Hayden went the first six innings, allowing three runs on seven hits, while striking out three and not walking a batter. O'Connor tossed 1.1 innings, giving up two runs on three hits. Kent pitched 0.2 scoreless innings, allowing just a hit. Farrington went two innings and gave up a run on two walks, while striking out a pair. Latino worked the final three innings and allowed a run on four hits and three walks.
Chandler went 5-for-5 with an RBI and a run scored. DeCoste and Manzi each went 3-for-6; DeCoste drove in a pair and scored a run, while Manzi scored twice. Lluberes was 3-for-8 with a run scored.
Seniors DeCoste, Criscuolo, Hayden, Latino, John Healy (Cranston, R.I.), Neil Hesek (Northboro, Mass.) and Timothy Cooney (E. Bridgewater, Mass.) were all honored in a ceremony prior to the game.
The Hawks return to action Sunday, April 29 at 1 p.m. when they wrap up their three-game set with Stonehill College at Sullivan Park.
