MOUNT OLIVE, N.C. – Junior Ken Morrisino (E. Longmeadow, Mass.) went 4-for-8 on the day and was on base five times, but the Saint Anselm College baseball team was swept by the 14th-ranked University of Mount Olive in its season-opening doubleheader on Saturday afternoon at Scarborough Field. UMO took game one, 11-2, before following up with an 8-4 win in the second contest.
The Hawks open up at 0-2, while the Trojans improve to 4-1.
Mount Olive jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first in game one against senior starter Dave Kent (N. Falmouth, Mass.) with an RBI single to right-center by Kilgore Gailmard and an RBI double down the left field line from Stephen Wallace. A sacrifice fly from Wallace put another run on the board in the third before Rob Shipman's RBI single to right made it 4-0 in the fifth.
Saint Anselm sliced its deficit in half in the top of the sixth as back-to-back singles from sophomore Matthew Flynn (Saratoga Springs, N.Y.) and Morrisino put runners on first and second and senior Mike Hayden (Cranston, R.I.) came through with a run-scoring single through the left side. Classmate Joe Morin (Salem, N.H.) followed with a single to right-center and the Hawks were within 4-2. Consecutive strikeouts got the Trojans out of the inning, however.
Mount Olive then broke it open against the bullpen as it scored two in the sixth on DeAndre Allen's single up the middle and then pushed across five in the seventh as a Chris Leduc RBI double to left and Justin Manning's two-run single to right-center did the majority of the damage.
Kent (0-1) gave up four runs – three earned – on seven hits, while striking out three and walking just one over 5.0 innings. Sophomore Joseph Levasseur (Rowley, Mass.) relinquished six runs on six hits and two walks in 1.1 innings, while junior Terrence Walsh (Milton, Mass.) allowed a run on two walks and did not record an out. Freshman Luke Nerney (Guilford, Conn.) tossed 1.2 shutout innings, getting charged with a hit and a walk, while fanning a pair.
Kodi Whitley (1-0) allowed two runs on six hits over the first 6.0 innings for Mount Olive, striking out 10 without walking a batter.
Morin (RBI) and freshman Max Wadington (Burlington, Conn.) were both 2-for-4, while Morrisino (run), Flynn (run), Hayden (RBI) and junior Paul Trabucco (Salem, N.H.) were all 1-for-4.
The Trojans again jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first inning of game two as Leduc stroked a two-run double to center off junior starter Tom Hudon (Merrimack, N.H.). Shipman's RBI single to right made it 3-0 in the third before he added a two-run double down the right field line in the fifth. Manning followed with an RBI single later in the fifth to make it 6-0. Mount Olive extended its lead to 7-0 in the sixth as Jason Morozowski homered to left off junior Tyler Buck (Franklin, Mass.).
Saint Anselm began to mount a comeback in the seventh as they scored four times. Sophomore Nick Bragole (Newburyport, Mass.) led off the frame with a single up the middle before freshmen Shaine Carpenter (Florham Park, N.J.) and John Marculitis (Shrewsbury, Mass.) walked to load the bases. Two runs then came home when sophomore Jon McQuarrie (Salem, N.H.) reached on a throwing error by the shortstop. Marculitis was thrown out at home on Flynn's fly to right, but Morrisino plated another run with a single through the left side and he then scored when Hayden reached on another throwing error by the shortstop to make it 7-4.
Mount Olive nudged the lead to 8-4 in the seventh when Bretton Gouthro single to right-center, moved to second on a fielder's choice, stole third and then scored when the throw went into the outfield.
Hudon (0-1) allowed six runs on nine hits, while striking out six and walking three in 4.0 innings. Buck gave up the one run on three hits over 2.0 innings, striking out a pair and walking one. Sophomore Cameron Latta (Lowell, Mass.) was charged with one unearned run on three hits over 2.0 innings, as he fanned a pair.
Gunnar Kines started for Mount Olive and tossed six shutout innings, scattering three hits, while striking out 10 and walking two.
Morrisino was 3-for-4 with a walk, a run and an RBI, while Bragole was 2-for-4 with a run scored. Hayden had the other hit for the Hawks as he was 1-for-4.
The Hawks return to action Sunday, Feb. 8 at noon when they wrap up their three-game set with Mount Olive. 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.
