MANCHESTER, N.H. – Freshman Mike Hayden (Cranston, R.I.) drove in a pair of runs, but the Saint Anselm College baseball team suffered a 12-8 loss against Franklin Pierce University on Saturday afternoon in the Northeast-10 Championship at Sullivan Park.
The Hawks see their four-game winning streak snapped as they fall to 28-22-2 on the season. They now take on Le Moyne College at 4:30 p.m., with the winner advancing to Sunday's final and needing to win a pair of games against the Ravens, who advanced to the final with the win and improved to 36-15-1.
James Roche staked the Ravens to a 1-0 lead with two outs in the first. Roche worked the count full and had fouled off six pitches before he sent the 10th pitch of the at bat over the fence in center to give Franklin Pierce the early edge.
Franklin Pierce added to its lead in the second. Nick LaCroix drew a leadoff walk, stole second and moved to third when Matt Walsh flew out to right. Isaac Wenrich then grounded out to second to push the run across. Anthony Peguero followed with a single before swiping second and scoring on Calvin Grave's base hit to center to make it 3-0.
The Ravens tacked on another in the third when Roche and Zach Mathieu led off with back-to-back singles that put runners on the corners before LaCroix's sac fly to right made it 4-0. Senior Joe Latino (Holden, Mass.) relieved Saint Anselm starter, junior Robert Kelly (Aurora, Colo.), who remained in the game as the designated hitter, and nailed down the final out of the inning.
The Hawks jumped on the board in the fourth. Kelly drew a leadoff walk before being erased on a fielder's choice groundout by senior Daniel DeCoste (Chelmsford, Mass.). Sophomore Dan Lagasse (Londonderry, N.H.) then came through with the Hawks' first hit of the day as he doubled off the wall in right to put a pair in scoring position with one out.
Hayden drove a sacrifice fly to center to plate DeCoste with the Hawks' first run. Sophomore Nate Gonya (Wolfeboro, N.H.) then worked a walk before senior Jeffrey Criscuolo (Durham, Conn.) flared one out to left-center that fell for a hit and scored Lagasse to slice it to 4-2.
The Ravens answered with a pair in the top half of the fifth. After Mathieu grounded out to short, consecutive singles by LaCroix and Walsh put a pair on with just one away. After a double steal, Wenrich grounded out to second and Latino was one out away from getting out of the jam. Peguero did not let him off the hook, however, as he blooped one to center that junior Andrew Chandler (Westford, Mass.) made an unbelievable effort for, but the ball dropped and two runs scored to make it 6-2.
The Hawks grabbed one back in bottom of the inning. Sophomore Tito Lluberes (Lawrence, Mass.) led off the frame with a single to right, stole second and went to third when junior Richie Manzi (Plymouth, N.H.) dropped a base hit down the right field line. Franklin Pierce starter Kevin McGowan then exited in favor of Vladimir Camacho. After Kelly flew out to shallow right, DeCoste came through with a broken-bat single back up the middle that scored Lluberes to make it 6-3.
After Latino issued a leadoff walk to Dan Hennigan, he was lifted for sophomore Zachary Brian (Stoneham, Mass.). Dan Kemp followed with a grounder to short that took a bad hop and put a pair on with no one out. Roche then dropped down a bunt that Brian fielded, but no one covered first base and his throw skipped away, allowing Hennigan to score, Kemp to move to third and Roche to advance to second.
The Hawks then issued Mathieu the free pass to load the bases before LaCroix lifted a sac fly to left-center that plated Kemp to make it 8-3. After a double steal put runners at second and third, Walsh was intentionally walked to re-load the bases. Wenrich grounded into the 3-2 fielder's choice for the second out of the inning, but Peguero then drew the bases-loaded walk to make it 9-3.
Franklin Pierce added to its lead against Saint Anselm reliever, junior William O'Connor (Worcester, Mass.), in the seventh. Hennigan drew a leadoff walk and swiped second before Kemp singled to short, moving Hennigan to third, and then stole second himself. Roche then hit his second homer of the day – a three-run shot to center that made it 12-3.
The Hawks mounted a comeback in the bottom of the seventh. With one out, singles by Manzi, Kelly and DeCoste loaded the bases. Lagasse followed with a swinging bunt that rolled down the third base line. Manzi raced home to beat Camacho's flip throw, which got past the catcher to allow Kelly to score and runners to move up 90 feet into scoring position.
Hayden then drove one on a line to center to bring in DeCoste to cut it to six. After Gonya struck out, a wild pitch brought in Lagasse and the Hawks were within 12-7.
Saint Anselm drew even closer in the eighth. Lluberes, who tossed a scoreless frame in the half inning prior, laced a double to the gap in left-center to lead it off. Manzi then dropped a single into right to put runners at the corners with no one out. Kelly's broken-bat single up the middle plated Lluberes to make it 12-8. A passed ball advanced runners to second and third, but Camacho retired DeCoste, Lagasse and Hayden in order to get out of the jam.
Kelly (2-4) started and last 2.2 innings, giving up four runs on five hits, while walking two and striking out two. Latino allowed three runs on four hits, while striking out two and walking two over 2.1 innings. Brian went an inning and gave up two runs on two hits, while walking three and striking out one. O'Connor relinquished three runs on three hits and a walk in an inning. Lluberes tossed a pair of scoreless innings, allowing three hits and striking out one.
McGowan worked the first four innings and allowed three runs on four hits, while walking four and striking out a pair. Camacho (4-1) gave up five runs – four earned – on nine hits, while striking out four and walking one.
