MANCHESTER, N.H. – The nationally-ranked Saint Anselm College softball team split its Saturday doubleheader with cross-town rival Southern New Hampshire University, claiming a 4-1 game-one victory and then falling 3-2 in nail-biting fashion.
Saint Anselm improves to 10-2 on the season and suffers its first Northeast-10 Conference loss, finishing with a 7-1 record against conference foes. The Penmen fall to 2-4 on the year. Saint Anselm is currently ranked 16th in the most recent National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) National Coaches' Poll. The Hawks will return to the South Athletic Fields on Sunday, Apr. 10 to conclude their four-game series with the Penmen. First pitch is scheduled for 10 a.m.
Game one featured junior captain
Bre Klaiber (Ironton, Ohio) hitting a two-run home run to put the Hawks on top and helping the team to hold the team. She also added an insurance run in the sixth, securing the Hawks the opening victory, 4-1. Senior
Morgan Perry (Bethany, Conn.) improved to 6-0 on the season, striking out 14 batters and surrendering four hits and one run. In all of her appearances, she has recorded 10 or more strikeouts. Perry has tied
Andrea Messina '03 with the most appearances in program history in a single career.
Freshman
Gracie O'Hara (Shrewsbury, Mass.) posted her first collegiate home run in game two, tying the game at two in the second inning. The Penmen held the Hawks scoreless for the remainder of the game, scoring the game-winning run in the fourth inning to earn the split.
GAME ONE – No. 16 Saint Anselm 4, Southern N.H. 1 (Box Score)
Emily Critch started the day's scoring in the top of the second, knocking a home run out of the park to put the Penmen up 1-0. Perry would sit down the next two batters via strikeout as she started on a groove, recording six across the opening three innings.
In the bottom of the third, sophomore
Kylie Fitzpatrick (Danville, N.H.) singled, getting herself on base before Klaiber sent her second home run of the season over the center-field wall to put the Hawks on the board, 2-1.
An inning later, senior
Shannon Colson (Rochester, N.H.) hit a sacrifice fly to center field, bringing home junior
Bailey Cain (Wellington, Fla.) from third on the deep fly ball.
Following two hit by pitches in the bottom of the sixth and loading the bases, Klaiber drew a walk in her at-bat, allowing Cain to walk home to add an insurance run for the Hawks. In game one, Klaiber was patient at the place, recording three walks.
GAME TWO – Southern N.H. 3, No. 16 Saint Anselm 2 (Box Score)
The Penmen responded out of the gate in the second game with a
Chloe Griffin lead-off double. She would eventually score off a wild throw by the catcher. Critch came across the plate in the second inning off a wild pitch, lifting the visitors to an early 2-0 advantage.
In the same inning, O'Hara connected on a pitch and sent it out of the park over the left center field wall, knotting the game at two apiece following the two-run home run.
The Penmen almost had another scoring opportunity in the third, but the Hawks defense stood tall as Griffin was gunned out at home before Critch lined out to senior
Lauren Washburn (Carmichael, Calif.) at third. The Hawks were able to get out of the jam and keep the game tied.
With the bases loaded in the fourth, Griffin was able to find a gap through the defense and single through the right side, scoring
Jackie Gavin from third and recording the eventual game-winning run. Sophomore
McKenna Smith (Old Town, Maine) came into relief after senior
Courtney Fisher (Taunton, Mass.) threw the first three innings.
Both teams would get out of jams throughout the remainder of the game, recording only four total hits. The Hawks were not able to get a runner past second base in the last three innings.
Fitzpatrick led the team with two hits, including a double.
Fisher finished the game allowing six hits and three runs over three and one-third innings while also striking out three batters. Smith wrapped up the contest, surrendering two hits and striking out one batter in the process.
