BELMONT, N.C. – Sophomore Mike Hayden (Cranston, R.I.) homered and drove in two more runs, including the go-ahead run in the eighth, but the Saint Anselm College baseball team fell to Belmont Abbey College, 8-7, in 10 innings at Abbey Yard in the conclusion of Saturday's second game that was suspended due to darkness. In the third and final game of the series, senior Robert Kelly (Aurora, Colo.) and sophomore Joseph Morin (Salem, N.H.) each drove in three runs as the two teams played to an 11-11 tie.
The Hawks are now 0-2-1 to start the season, while the Crusaders move to 6-0-1.
The first game resumed with the score tied at seven in the top of the ninth. The Hawks went 1-2-3 in the frame and again in the 10th after Belmont Abbey received a leadoff single in the ninth from Michael Falsetti, who was promptly gunned down trying to steal second by freshman Allan McQuarrie (Salem, N.H.). Freshman Seve Llanio (Glen Arm, Md.), who recorded the final out of the eighth, retired the next two batters to get out of the inning.
Llanio was not so lucky in the 10th, however. After Ian Vazquez led off with a double down the left field line, Llanio threw him out at third on an Emilio Pagan grounder. Pagan then moved to second on an Anthony Dimino single and to third on a fly ball from Kennan Stanley. Ryan Allen then pitch hit and came through with a single to left that knocked in Pagan with the game's winning run.
Llanio (0-1) worked 2.0 innings and gave up the one run on five hits. Nate Cudney (2-0) worked two perfect frames and struck out four to earn the win.
The Hawks jumped on the board first with two in the second. Senior Rett Ostafin (Port St. Lucie, Fla.) was hit by a pitch with one out, advanced to second on a groundout by Morin and scored when freshman Tom Murphy (Chelmsford, Mass.) singled. Murphy moved up to second on a fielding error by the left fielder and came around to score when classmate Jack Hopkins (Brandywine, Md.) double down the left field line.
After Saint Anselm starter, sophomore David Kent (North Falmouth, Mass.), retired the first six batters he faced, the Hawks grabbed another run in the third when Kelly singled through the right side, stole second and scored on a single through the left side by junior Kyle Grumoli (So. Hadley, Mass.).
Belmont Abbey answered with two runs in the bottom of the third after Kent struck out the first two batters he faced for Nos. seven and eight in a row. Levi Wright walked, swiped second and was plated by Vazquez' single up the middle. After Vazquez stole second, Pagan walked and Dimino singled to load the bases for Stanley, who drew a walk to push across the second run.
The Crusaders then grabbed the lead with two more in the following inning on a single to left by Wright. Saint Anselm tied the game at four in the fifth on a solo home run to left by Hayden, but Belmont Abbey put up two more in bottom half. Dimino drew a leadoff walk, went to second on Stanley's groundout and scored when Quinn Hawksworth reached on an error. Falsetti's two-out double to right-center plated Hawksworth to make it 6-4.
The Hawks cut their deficit in half in the seventh when sophomore Zach Husband (Bedford, N.H.) hit a leadoff single to right, moved to second when junior Dan Lagasse (Londonderry, N.H.) reached on an error on his attempted sacrifice bunt, advanced to third on Kelly's single to center and scored when sophomore Bobby Carkhuff (Amherst, Mass.) reached on a two-out error.
Saint Anselm put two more on the board in the top of the eighth to take the lead. After walks to McQuarrie and Hopkins to begin the inning, Husband moved them both into scoring position with a sac bunt to the pitcher. Lagasse doubled to tie the game and, following an intentional walk to Kelly, Hayden came through with a sac fly to center that made it 7-6.
Then in the bottom of the frame, freshman Matt Wojichowski (Portsmouth, R.I.) set down the first two batters before issuing back-to-back walks to Dimino and Stanley. Llanio relieved him, but allowed a pinch-hit single to Matt Mazzolla that knotted things up at seven-all.
Kelly was 2-for-4 with a run scored, while Grumoli and Lagasse were each 2-for-5 with an RBI. Hayden and Hopkins were both 1-for-4 with a run; Hayden drove in two and Hopkins plated one.
Kent gave up four runs on four hits, while striking out seven and walking three, over the first 3.2 innings. Freshman Clayton Welch (Manchester, N.H.) went 3.1 innings in his debut as he allowed two runs – none earned – on four hits, walked one and struck out one. Wojichowski relinquished a run on two walks in 0.2 innings.
In game two, the Crusaders reached Saint Anselm starting pitcher, freshman Tom Hudon (Merrimack, N.H.), right away as Hawksworth drove in a pair with a double to left in the first. Belmont Abbey added another in the second when Gabby Amor led off with a double to left and later scored on a Vazquez sac fly to right that made it 3-0.
The Hawks responded in a big way, however, as they hung a 10-spot in the sixth. Kelly's RBI single to center put the visitors on the board before a three-run triple from Morin put Saint Anselm on top, 4-3. Carkhuff's single to left gave the Hawks an insurance run before an RBI groundout from freshman Ken Morrisino (East Longmeadow, Mass.) opened the lead to 6-3. A two-run single from Kelly, with a third run scoring on the play due to an error, made it a six-run game. Lagasse finished the damage with a double to right-center that drove in the team's 10th run. The Hawks sent 14 batters to the plate in the inning.
Belmont Abbey would not go away, however, as it threw up eight runs in the bottom half of the inning to take an 11-10 lead. Hawksworth started the frame with a single through the left side and later scored on a wild pitch. Vazquez then drew a bases-loaded walk and Pagan drove in a run with a fly out to left to make it 10-6.
RBI singles from Dimino and Stanley sliced it to 10-8. Dimino came around to score on a failed pickoff attempt and the Crusaders tied the game on Hawksworth's sac fly to left. Kyle Buchanan's double to right-center gave Belmont Abbey the lead.
The Hawks fought back to tie the game in the eighth. Grumoli doubled down the left field line and moved to third on Kelly's groundout to second. Husband then pinch ran for Grumoli and scored on Lagasse's sac fly to left.
Lagasse was 2-for-3 with a run and pair of RBI, while Grumoli (two runs) and Hopkins (one run) were each 2-for-4. Kelly was 2-for-5 with two runs and three RBI. Carkhuff was 1-for-4 with a run and an RBI. Morin was 1-for-5 with a run and three RBI.
Hudon allowed three runs on three hits and four walks over four innings. Sophomore Ryan Cosmopulous (Seekonk, Mass.) gave up four runs on two hits, while striking out one and walking on, in an inning of work. Senior William O'Connor (Worcester, Mass.) tossed 0.1 innings and was charged with three runs on two hits and a walk. Junior Zachary Brian (Stoneham, Mass.) pitched two innings and allowed a run on three hits and a pair of walks. Freshman Paul Trabucco (Salem, N.H.) threw a hitless 1.2 innings and issued a walk.
Cudney started and worked five scoreless innings as he allowed just two hits and struck out six with just one walk.
The Hawks return to action Saturday, March 2 at 11 a.m. when they open their Florida trip by playing host to Northeast-10 foe Assumption College at Rollins College. Stay up-to-date with the latest news, including game previews and recaps, directly from the Saint Anselm College athletic department by liking us on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/STAHawks) and following us on Twitter (http://www.twitter.com/STAHawks).
