NORTHBOROUGH, Mass. – The Saint Anselm College baseball team combined to strike out 18 batters from Saint Michael's College in Saturday's 6-3 victory over the Purple Knights at the New England Baseball Complex.

Seniors Ryan Schworer (Medfield, Mass.) and Will Conaton (Windham, N.H.) struck out nine apiece in the nine-inning affair, combining to post the second-most strikeouts in a single game in team history. The Hawks move to 4-2 overall while Saint Michael's, competing in its season opener, falls to 0-1.

Conaton and Schworer each fanned a career-high nine batters in the neutral-site win over Saint Michael's. Across 99.2 career innings, Conaton has struck out 101 batters and owns a 3.79 earned-run average in 25 career appearances. Schworer has punched out 56 batters in 56.1 career frames for the Hawks.

Saint Anselm scored two runs in the top of the second inning. Senior Salvatore Pezzolla (East Greenbush, N.Y.) doubled to left-center field to lead off the inning and, after swiping third base, came around to score on an RBI single by junior Dan Baker (Reading, Mass.). The second run for Saint Anselm came home on a passed ball.

Saint Michael's smacked a solo shot in the bottom of the third inning, but the Hawks put the game out of reach with four runs in the top of the fourth. Baker hit a one-out home run and was followed just two batters later by a Brady Doran (Stony Brook, N.Y.) solo blast. Junior Kyle Maurice (Exeter, N.H.) continued his hot hitting with a two-RBI double to up the Hawks lead to 6-1.

The only further damage by Saint Michael's was a two-run home run in the bottom of the eighth. The Hawks were able to close out the victory by stranding seven Purple Knights baserunners in the final three innings alone.

Schworer pitched five innings, conceding just four hits and yielding only two walks. Conaton earned his first career save in relief with four innings of two-run ball.

Baker, Doran, Maurice, sophomore Mike Borrelli (Salisbury, Mass.) and junior Mike Pierro (North Andover, Mass.) each had two hits for Saint Anselm. The Hawks also swiped six bases in the win, the most in a game since Apr. 2, 2019 against the Purple Knights at home.

Borrelli owns an active six-game hitting streak (10-for-26, .385) while Maurice has hit in five consecutive games (9-for-22, .409). Maurice, Borrelli, Pezzolla and freshman Zack Clough (Newbury, Mass.) have reached base in each game this season.

Saint Anselm hosts Bentley in a four-game series beginning Saturday, Apr. 3 at high noon.