EASTON, Mass. – Freshman Tom Hudon (Merrimack, N.H.) allowed just one run over seven innings and senior Robert Kelly (Aurora, Colo.) hit a three-run homer as the Saint Anselm College baseball team posted a 6-4 win against Stonehill College in the rubber match of the series Sunday afternoon at Lou Gorman Field.
The Hawks improve to 18-26-1 on the season, including 13-14 in Northeast-10 play and 6-12 in the Northeast Division. The Skyhawks dip to 21-20, 9-14 NE-10, 7-10 NE-10 NE.
Stonehill drew first blood in the third when a throwing error on a two-out double steal produced the game's first run. The Hawks responded in the fifth, however, when senior Richie Manzi (Plymouth, N.H.) tied it with an RBI single up the middle before Kelly slammed his three-run shot that made it 4-1.
Saint Anselm tacked on two more in the seventh as back-to-back one-out doubles from Kelly and sophomore Mike Hayden (Cranston, R.I.) pushed it to 5-1, followed by a wild pitch and a passed ball that plated Hayden to widen the gap to five.
The Skyhawks mounted a comeback against the Hawks' bullpen in the eighth as Dan Fratus' RBI double to left-center and Billy Karalis' two-run single up the middle trimmed the deficit to 6-4.
Freshman Clayton Welch (Manchester, N.H.) entered and struck out the final two batters of the inning and then stranded a pair in the ninth to earn his second save of the season.
Hudon (3-2) gave up one run – none earned – on five hits, while striking out five and walking three in 7.0 innings. In Hudon's last eight appearances dating back to March 6, which includes five starts, the lefty has gone 3-1 with a 1.27 ERA. During that span he has relinquished just six earned runs in 42.2 innings, striking out 36 and walking 15, while holding opponents to a .170 average.
Freshman Tyler Buck (Franklin, Mass.) was charged with three runs on two hits and a pair of walks in 0.1 innings, while Welch tossed 1.2 shutout innings and allowed two hits, struck out a pair and walked one.
Kelly (3 RBI, 2 R), Hayden (RBI, R) and sophomore Joe Morin (Salem, N.H.) were all 2-for-4, while senior Rett Ostafin (Port St. Lucie, Fla.) went 2-for-5.
The Hawks return to action Monday, April 29 at 3:30 p.m. when they play host to Bentley University in the resumption of an April 1 game that was halted due to the weather. Saint Anselm leads 5-2 at the start of the fifth. 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.
