WINTER PARK, Fla. – Sophomore Mike Hayden (Cranston, R.I.) and freshman Tom Murphy (Chelmsford, Mass.) each drove in a run, but the Saint Anselm College baseball team was swept in a pair of games by Assumption College (8-3) and Rollins College (12-2) at Rollins' Alfond Stadium.
The Hawks dip to 2-6-1 on the season, while the Greyhounds improve to 1-4 and the Tars jump to 9-6.
In the first game, Assumption scored three runs in the top of the second off Saint Anselm starter, freshman Clayton Welch (Manchester, N.H.), highlighted by RBI singles from Ysander Figueroa and Travis Smith. The Greyhounds added two more in the third on a Colin Clancy single and a Figueroa fielder's choice to make it 5-0.
The Hawks closed the gap to a pair with single unearned runs in the third and fourth, followed by Hayden's single in the fifth to drive in senior Robert Kelly (Aurora, Colo.), who came up with a two-out double in the previous at bat.
The Greyhounds added a run in the sixth on a Greg O'Donnell single and then tacked on a pair in the seventh on RBI base knocks from Smith and O'Donnell that made it 8-3.
Welch (0-1) went the first 5.1 innings and allowed six runs – five earned – on eight hits and five walks, while striking out three. Freshman Tyler Buck (Franklin, Mass.) gave up two runs on five hits, while walking two and striking out three in 1.2 innings. Freshman Terrence Walsh (Milton, Mass.) tossed a pair of shutout innings as he recorded a strikeout and allowed two hits.
Senior Rett Ostafin (Port St. Lucie, Fla.), junior Dan Lagasse (Londonderry, N.H.), Hayden and Kelly were each 1-for-4 and accounted for all four Saint Anselm hits. Ostafin and Kelly each scored runs.
In game two, Rollins jumped out to a 2-0 lead against Saint Anselm starter, freshman Paul Trabucco (Salem, N.H.), with RBI singles from Steve Betcherman and Yuta Okazaki. A Zach Persky RBI triple and Brandon Curson run-scoring single doubled the Tars' lead to 4-0 in the third.
The Hawks grabbed one back in the fourth when sophomore Zach Husband (Bedford, N.H.) scored on a wild pitch, but Rollins put up three more in the fourth when Betcherman scored on a wild pitch and Evan Rivera drove in a pair with a triple to center that made it 7-1.
An RBI groundout by Thomas Kelly in the fifth and RBI singles from Hunter Mayfield and Brian Lattanzi, as well as a double by Curson in the sixth, ballooned the Rollins lead to 11-1. The Tars would tack on another on a Grant Moss RBI single in the seventh.
Murphy's sacrifice fly to center in the ninth scored Walsh, who led off with a single, moved to second on a passed ball and advanced to third on a single to left by freshman Jack Hopkins (Brandywine, Md.).
Trabucco (0-1) relinquished 11 runs – 10 earned – on 16 hits, while walking one and striking out two, over 5.1 innings. Hopkins pitched the final 2.2 innings and gave a run – none earned – on two hits, while walking one and striking out a pair.
Kelly was 2-for-4, while junior Tito Lluberes (Lawrence, Mass.) was 1-for-1, Walsh was 1-for-2 and Lagasse was 1-for-3.
The Hawks return to action Wednesday, March 6 at 6 p.m. as they travel across the state to take on Eckerd 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).
