MANCHESTER, N.H. – Freshman Mike Hayden (Cranston, R.I.) went 2-for-5 and drove in three runs in a nine-run eighth inning as the Saint Anselm College baseball team rallied for a 9-5 victory against Assumption College on Thursday afternoon at Sullivan Park.
The Hawks improve to 12-15-1 on the season, while the Greyhounds drop to 6-14.
Deadlocked in a scoreless tie, Assumption scored one against Saint Anselm starter, senior Timothy Cooney (E. Bridgewater, Mass.), in the sixth when Shane Keddy doubled and then scored after Travis Smith reached on an error.
Cooney tossed seven innings, allowing one run – none earned – on five hits, while striking out six and walking two.
Assumption tacked onto its lead with four in the eighth off relievers, sophomore Matt Lessard (Hooksett, N.H.) and junior James Farrington (W. Milford, N.J.). Nick Napoli's two-run double made it 3-0 before Ysander Figueroa's RBI infield single and Michael Filice's bases-loaded walk put the Greyhounds on top, 5-0.
The Hawks then exploded for nine in the bottom half of the inning to take the lead. After sophomore Tito Lluberes (Lawrence, Mass.) singled to lead off the inning, junior Robert Kelly (Aurora, Colo.) plated him with a double to left-center and then crossed the plate himself on Hayden's double down the left field line to make it 5-2.
Senior Jeffrey Criscuolo (Durham, Conn.) singled to right-center to score Hayden and it was a two-run game. Later in the inning, freshman Joe Morin (Salem, N.H.) came through with a single up the middle that scored sophomore Dan Lagasse (Londonderry, N.H.), who reached on an error.
The Hawks tied it when Criscuolo scored on a wild pitch and took the lead on an RBI single to left by junior Andrew Chandler (Westford, Mass.). Lluberes doubled over the head of the right fielder to score Morin and make it 7-5 before Hayden came through with a two-run single down the left field line that opened the Saint Anselm lead to 9-5.
Senior Joe Latino (Holden, Mass.) worked the final 1.1 innings, allowing just a hit as he earned the win to improve to 2-1. Lessard relinquished three runs on one hit and a pair of walks in 0.1 inning, while Farrington also pitched 0.1 inning and gave up a run on two hits, while striking out one and walking one.
Lluberes was 2-for-2, walked three times, drove in a run and scored twice. Kelly was 1-for-3 with an RBI and a run scored. Criscuolo, Morin and Chandler were all 1-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored, while Junior Richie Manzi (Plymouth, N.H.) was also 1-for-4.
The Hawks return to action Saturday, April 7 at noon when they play host to The College of Saint Rose in doubleheader action at Sullivan Park.
