WINTER HAVEN, Fla. – Sophomore Nick Bragole (Newburyport, Mass.) went 3-for-8 on the day, drove in two runs and scored twice, but the Saint Anselm College baseball team dropped a pair of games against the College of Saint Rose and Concordia (N.Y.) College at Rollins College's Alfond Stadium on Friday. The Hawks fell to Saint Rose, 5-3, in game one and were beaten by Concordia, 9-3, in the second game.
The Hawks drop to 2-10 on the season, while the Golden Knights improve to 3-8 and the Clippers move to 5-4.
Saint Rose did some two-out damage against senior starter Dave Kent (N. Falmouth, Mass.) to grab an early lead in the first game. Lukas Nethaway hit a two-out homer to left in the first and then Kent recorded two quick outs to start the second before Alec Caprarella singled and went to second on an error, Ryan Hooker singled to bring home Caprarella and then Joseph Carcone came through with a base hit to plate Hooker and make it 4-0. Another Caprarella RBI single in the fourth put the Golden Knights up 5-0.
Saint Anselm began to chip away in the bottom of the inning when freshman Max Wadington (Burlington, Conn.) led off with a double to center, went to third on a groundout by senior Mike Hayden (Cranston, R.I.) and scored on a two-out single to center by Bragole.
The Hawks grabbed another back in the fifth when Wadington laid down a bunt that scored sophomore Jon McQuarrie (Salem, N.H.), who singled to lead off the frame. Saint Anselm sliced the deficit to 5-3 in the sixth when Bragole walked and then scored on a double down the left field line by freshman John Marculitis (Shrewsbury, Mass.).
Saint Anselm stranded runners in scoring position in both the seventh and eighth innings before going 1-2-3 in the ninth.
Kent (0-3) was charged with five runs – three earned – on nine hits, while striking out four and not walking a batter over 8.0 innings. Junior Tyler Buck (Franklin, Mass.) tossed a scoreless ninth, allowing a hit and striking out one.
Marculitis was 2-for-4 with an RBI, Wadington was 1-for-2 with a walk, run and an RBI, while Bragole went 1-for-3 with a walk, run and an RBI.
Ryan Harper went 7.0 innings and gave up three runs on six hits, while fanning six and walking three.
Saint Anselm fell behind early again against Concordia as Brian Bilello drove a two-run single up the middle to stake the Clippers to a 2-0 lead against junior Tom Hudon (Merrimack, N.H.).
The Hawks answered in the bottom of the second as Bragole singled, went to third on a pair of wild pitches and scored when Marculitis reached on an error. McQuarrie was hit by a pitch and sophomore Matthew Flynn (Saratoga Springs, N.Y.) walked to load the bases with two outs before junior Ken Morrisino (E. Longmeadow, Mass.) walked to tie the game at 2-all.
Jason Reyes snapped the tie in the fourth with a two-out RBI single to right, but the Hawks answered in the fifth on Bragole's two-out base hit.
Concordia pushed four across in the sixth. Hudon hit the first batter of the inning, walked the second and retired the third before giving way to junior Clayton Welch (Manchester, N.H.), who walked the only batter he faced to load the bases with one out. Junior Seve Llanio (Glen Arm, Md.) entered the game and struck out the first batter he faced and then got the second batter swinging, but the ball bounced away, the batter reached first and two runs scored. Bilello then delivered a single to right to plate the third run before an error brought home another run that made it 7-3.
An RBI double to left by Erik Poldroo in the eighth gave the Clippers a five-run lead before a wild pitch led to a run that stretched the lead to 9-3 in the ninth.
Hudon (0-3) relinquished five runs on nine hits, while striking out eight and walking one in 5.1 innings. Welch was charged with a run as he walked the only batter he faced and Llanio allowed one run – unearned – on one hit, while striking out a pair in 0.2 innings. Freshman Adam Krol (Sunderland, Mass.) was tagged for two runs on three hits, walking three and striking out two over 3.0 innings.
Morrisino was 2-for-4 with a walk and an RBI, while Bragole went 2-for-5 with a run and an RBI. Hayden (two walks) and Flynn (walk) were both 1-for-3, while Wadington went 1-for-4 with a run scored.
Thomas Burke tossed the first 5.0 innings for the Clippers, allowing three runs – two earned – on five hits, while striking out three and walking three.
The Hawks wrap up their Florida trip Saturday, March 7 at 10 a.m. when they take on Assumption College at Alfond. 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.
