MANCHESTER, N.H. – Sophomore Ryan Cosmopulos (Seekonk, Mass.) tossed six solid innings, while senior Rett Ostafin (Port St. Lucie, Fla.) and junior Dan Lagasse (Londonderry, N.H.) drove in runs to lead the Saint Anselm College baseball team to a 3-2 victory in the second game of Saturday's doubleheader against American International College at Sullivan Park. The Hawks were blanked, 3-0, in game one.
The Hawks move to 10-16-1 on the season, including 5-7 in Northeast-10 play, while the Yellow Jackets are now 12-10, 3-6 NE-10.
AIC grabbed a 1-0 lead in the top of the sixth inning of game two. Lucas Vallas reached on a throwing error, moved to second on Mike Coyne's sacrifice bunt, advanced to third on a wild pitch and – following a walk to Tyler Geffert – scored on Zach Kane's single through the right side that broke up Cosmopulos' no-hitter after 5.1 innings.
Saint Anselm finally broke through against AIC starter Harrison Paige in the bottom of the frame. Sophomore Joe Morin (Salem, N.H.) pounded a one-out double to left-center before junior Kyle Grumoli (So. Hadley, Mass.) walked to put a pair on. A wild pitch moved both runners into scoring position and a second one scored Morin to knot the game. Ostafin then came through with a base hit to right that plated Grumoli to give the Hawks their first lead of the day.
After senior Richie Manzi (Plymouth, N.H.) singled to lead off the seventh, Paige was replaced on the mound by Tim Bailey, who promptly recorded the first out, but then allowed a double down the right field line to sophomore Mike Hayden (Cranston, R.I.). With a pair in scoring position, Lagasse lifted a fly ball to right that scored Manzi to give the Hawks an insurance run.
They wound up needing the extra cushion as Geffert drew a leadoff walk against freshman Tyler Buck (Franklin, Mass.) in the eighth and moved to second on Kane's sac bunt. Freshman Clayton Welch (Manchester, N.H.) entered the game and threw a wild pitch that advanced Geffert to third, but induced a David Kerleja groundout to short in which Geffert came across the plate on.
The Yellow Jackets would put runners on second and third with one out in the ninth, but Welch dug deep, striking out Vallas and getting Coyne to fly out to end it for his first save.
Cosmopulos (2-1) allowed one run – unearned – on one hit, while walking four and striking out four over 6.0 innings. Buck went 1.1 innings and was charged with one run on one hit to go along with a pair of walks and a strikeout. Welch tossed a hitless 1.2 innings, striking out one and hitting a batter.
Junior Tito Lluberes (Lawrence, Mass.), who played in both ends of the doubleheader – his first full games in more than a month – went 2-for-3. Ostafin (RBI) and Morin (R) were both 2-for-4, while Hayden and Grumoli (R) went 1-for-3.
In the second game, AIC moved out to a 1-0 lead against senior James Farrington (West Milford, N.J.) on a Vallas RBI groundout in the fourth. After doubling their lead in the sixth on a Dave Clark sac fly, Vallas followed with a single to left that opened the lead to 3-0.
The Hawks could not solve AIC starter Matt Lee, who fired a complete game shutout, allowing just three hits, while striking out five and walking three.
Farrington (1-4) gave up three runs on five hits, struck out six and did not walk a batter over six innings. Junior Zachary Brian (Stoneham, Mass.) followed with 3.0 shutout innings, allowing two hits and fanning three.
Lagasse and Ostafin were both 1-for-3, while Morin went 1-for-4.
The Hawks return to action Sunday, April 7 as they play host to Assumption College in doubleheader action that begins at noon. 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.
