PLEASANTVILLE, N.Y. – Freshman Tom Hudon (Merrimack, N.H.) put together the most impressive start of his young career and the offense scored four runs in the final three innings as the Saint Anselm College baseball team posted a 4-1 victory in game two of a Sunday afternoon doubleheader against Pace University at Finnerty Field. The Hawks dropped the first game, 8-3.
The Hawks win for the fifth time in their last six games to move their record to 7-10-1 on the season, including 3-1 in Northeast-10 play. The Setters are now 11-6, 3-1 NE-10.
In the second game, both pitchers were cruising along, facing a combined 28 batters through four-and-a-half innings – just one over the minimum. In the bottom of the fifth, however, Hudon ran into some trouble. After a strike out, walk and a stolen base to begin the inning, an error plated an unearned run that made it 1-0 in favor of Pace.
Saint Anselm went 1-2-3 once again in the sixth, but came alive in the seventh. After singles by senior Richie Manzi (Plymouth, N.H.) and junior Kyle Grumoli (South Hadley, Mass.) to lead off the inning, senior Robert Kelly (Aurora, Colo.) doubled down the right field line to tie the game at one. Two batters later, junior Dan Lagasse (Londonderry, N.H.) reached on an error and Grumoli scored to put the Hawks on top.
The visitors would add two more in the eighth. Freshman Tom Murphy (Chelmsford, Mass.) stroked a one-out double down the right field line and was driven in by a Manzi single up the middle. Sophomore Mike Hayden (Cranston, R.I.) doubled to right-center three batters later to bring in Manzi and open it up to 4-1. Saint Anselm would load the bases with two outs in the ninth, but did not score.
Hudon (1-1) would finish it out and make the offense stand up as he turned in the first complete game of his career. He allowed just one run – none earned – on four hits, while striking out four, walking one and retiring 12 of the last 14 batters he faced.
Manzi went 2-for-4 with an RBI and a pair of runs scored. Murphy was 1-for-3 with a run.
In the first game, the Hawks were the ones to draw first blood as senior Rett Ostafin (Port St. Lucie, Fla.) legged out a two-out infield single, moved up to second after a walk to sophomore Joe Morin (Salem, N.H.) and scored on a double to left-center by sophomore Bobby Carkhuff (Amherst, Mass.).
Pace used a five-run third – highlighted by a two-run double from Brandon Martineson – to jump out to a four-run lead. After the Setters added another run in the fifth, Saint Anselm responded in the sixth when Kelly led off the inning by belting his second home run of the year to trim the deficit to 6-2.
The hosts would push two more across in the eighth to make it 8-2 before the Hawks plated a run in the ninth on a bunt single by Manzi with runners at the corners and just one out.
Freshman Clayton Welch (Manchester, N.H.) was tagged with the loss after working the first 4.1 innings and allowing six runs on eight hits. Welch (0-2) also struck out five and walked three. Sophomore Ryan Cosmopulos (Seekonk, Mass.) tossed the final 3.2 innings and was charged with two runs on three hits to go along with three walks and three strikeouts.
Carkhuff (RBI) and freshman Allan McQuarrie (Salem, N.H.) were both 2-for-4, while Manzi (RBI) and Ostafin (R) were each 1-for-3.
The Hawks are set to return to action Tuesday, March 26 at 3 p.m. as they travel across town to take on Southern New Hampshire University, field condition pending. 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 and following us on Twitter @STAHawks.
