MANCHESTER, N.H. – Junior Zachary Brian (Stoneham, Mass.) tossed the first complete game of his career to lead the Saint Anselm College baseball team to a 6-1 victory against Merrimack College in game one of a Sunday doubleheader at Sullivan Park. The Hawks blew a 4-1 lead in game two before falling, 9-6.
The Hawks are now 16-23-1 overall, including 11-12 in Northeast-10 play and 5-10 within the Northeast Division. The Warriors move to 20-14, 11-9 NE-10, 6-6 NE-10 NE.
Saint Anselm grabbed a 1-0 lead in the fourth inning of game one. Senior Robert Kelly (Aurora, Colo.) led off with a double to right-center before moving to third on a groundout by sophomore Mike Hayden (Cranston, R.I.). Junior Dan Lagasse (Londonderry, N.H.) drew a walk and then found himself caught in a rundown. Lagasse stayed in it long enough to allow Kelly to break for home. The throw came to the plate, but it was high and Kelly was able to slide under it and grab the edge of the plate.
Merrimack tied it with an unearned run in the seventh when Joe Mantoni walked, advanced to second on Eddie Newton's sacrifice bunt and later scored when John Pastyrnak's fly ball to right was misplayed and fell in.
The Hawks answered in a big way in the bottom of the frame, however, hanging a five-spot on the Warriors. A single by sophomore Joe Morin (Salem, N.H.), a walk to junior Kyle Grumoli (So. Hadley, Mass.) and a single from freshman Alan McQuarrie (Salem, N.H.) loaded the bases before a pinch-hit single from freshman Ken Morrisino (East Longmeadow, Mass.) plated a run to break the tie.
Senior Richie Manzi (Plymouth, N.H.) followed by driving a base hit to right that opened the lead up to 3-1. Kelly then grounded sharply back to the pitcher, who came home to get the force at the plate, but the catcher's throw to first sailed into right field and Morrisino came around to give the Hawks a three-run lead.
Hayden came through with a single to right field to bring in Manzi and Lagasse dropped one into left-center to score Kelly and make it 6-1.
Brian (3-1) allowed one run – none earned – on three hits, while striking out two and walking one in 9.0 innings.
Grumoli was 2-for-3 with a run scored, while Kelly (2 R) and Hayden (RBI, R) were each 2-for-4. Lagasse (RBI) and McQuarrie both went 1-for-3.
The Hawks kept the momentum going into the second game as they jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first. Manzi was hit by a pitch and then driven in when Kelly doubled to the gap in right-center. Hayden followed with a double to the opposite gap that scored Kelly with the second run.
Merrimack grabbed one back in the third on Casey Cotter's leadoff home run to right, but the Hawks answered an inning later when Morin singled to left with one out and came home on Grumoli's two-out double down the right-field line.
The Hawks padded their lead some more in the sixth when Lagasse led off with a single through the right side, stole second and scored on a double just inside the third base bag by senior Rett Ostafin (Port St. Lucie, Fla.).
The Warriors battled back in the seventh, however, scoring four runs to grab their first lead of the day. Senior William O'Connor (Worcester, Mass.) replaced freshman starter Tom Hudon (Merrimack, N.H.) to begin the inning and allowed a single, single and walk to load the bases. Senior James Farrington (West Milford, N.J.) then entered and was greeted with an RBI single from Frank Crinella. Farrington then induced a 6-4-3 double play off the bat of Matt Brown, but a run came in to cut it to 4-3. RBI base hits from Pastyrnak and Newton plated two more runs that gave Merrimack a 5-4 lead.
The Hawks responded with two runs in the bottom of the inning to take the lead back. Lagasse drew a leadoff walk, advanced to second on a wild pitch and moved to third on Morin's sac bunt. Ostafin dropped down a suicide squeeze that scored Lagasse to tie the contest and then beat out the throw, which skipped past the first baseman and sent Ostafin to second. Ostafin moved to third when Grumoli reached on a throwing error by the shortstop and later came home on a passed ball to make it 6-5.
The back and forth continued as the Warriors pushed across four more in the ninth. Cotter reached on a one-out single to right-center and moved to third on Mike Forgione's single down the right-field line. Mark O'Flynn followed with a base hit to right-center to plate Cotter and knot the game at six. Freshman Paul Trabucco (Salem, N.H.) relieved Farrington, but Crinella came through with a single to left that waved Forgione around and put Merrimack on top, 7-6. Merrimack would tack on two more on a throwing error to take a three-run lead.
Hudon threw seven solid innings, allowing just one run on four hits, while striking out seven and walking one. O'Connor was charged with three runs on two hits and a walk, while failing to record an out. Farrington (2-7) was tagged with the loss as he relinquished four runs on six hits in 1.1 innings. Trabucco gave up a run on two hits in 0.2 innings.
Ostafin (RBI, R) and Manzi (R) were each 2-for-4, while Kelly (RBI, R) was 2-for-5. Lagasse (2 R) went 1-for-3.
Seniors Kelly, Manzi, Ostafin, O'Connor and Farrington were all honored in a ceremony prior to the first game.
The Hawks return to action Wednesday, April 24 at 3:30 p.m. when they play host to Saint Michael's College at Sullivan. 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.
