EASTON, Mass. – The Saint Anselm College baseball team was swept by the host Skyhawks from Stonehill College on Saturday.
Saint Anselm falls to 10-14 overall on the year and to 5-12 against Northeast-10 Conference opponents. Stonehill moves above .500 on the season, winning 13 of its first 25 games on the year while upping its conference record to 8-10.
A wild pitch and a throwing error allowed single Stonehill runs to score in the first and third innings on the way to the team's 11-6 victory in the opener. A wild pitch set up Stonehill's fourth run in the bottom of the sixth and a fielding error with two outs led to five unearned runs in the bottom of the seventh.
A first-inning passed ball, coupled with two wild pitches, spotted the Skyhawks two early runs in a game two win for the hosts. The third Stonehill run came across in the fifth inning on a wild pitch and a four-run bottom of the sixth inning saw a bases loaded hit-by-pitch alongside a throwing error.
Opposing teams have taken advantage of these miscues, most of them coming early in the game. In the last five games, the Hawks have committed three errors on four occasions, uncorked 16 wild pitches, allowed three passed balls and totaled 11 unearned runs in 38 innings.
Saint Anselm returns to action Sunday at Stonehill with a 12 p.m. doubleheader.
GAME ONE – Stonehill 11, Saint Anselm 6
Stonehill used a lead-off walk, a stolen base and a fly-out to left field to create early offense. With the lead-off baserunner on third base, he came around to score on a wild pitch to give Stonehill an early 1-0 lead.
Another lead-off walk in the top of the third came around to score, upping Stonehill to a 2-0 lead. Following a sacrifice bunt, a wild pitch then turned into a throwing error, allowing the game's second run to cross the plate.
Stonehill manufactured a single run in the fifth with two outs as a double by Conor Kiely set up Blaine Lidsky for an RBI triple to right field, moving the Skyhawks ahead by a 3-0 margin.
Saint Anselm got a run back in the top of the sixth. Following a lead-off single by junior Dan Baker (Reading, Mass.), he stole second base and came around to score on a single to left-center field by sophomore Brady Doran (Stony Brook, N.Y.).
The Skyhawks neutralized the Hawks run in the top of the inning, getting one right back in the bottom of the sixth with the help of a wild pitch. After moving the baserunner to second, the wild delivery set up an RBI groundout by Mike Swanholm to produce a 4-1 lead.
A six-run bottom of the seventh inning hurt Saint Anselm, as a five-run top of the ninth inning by the Hawks was unable to win the game. With two quick outs made by Saint Anselm pitching, three consecutive hits preceded an error that would have been the third out of the inning.
A three-run home run by senior Rob Duarte highlighted the stanza for Stonehill, whose lead coming out of the huge inning was 10-1. The Skyhawks continued to build their lead, utilizing an RBI double to right-center field in the bottom of the eighth.
Saint Anselm did well to score five runs in the top of the ninth inning. The Hawks had three hits and forced a Stonehill pitching change, keyed by an RBI double by freshman Zack Clough (Newbury, Mass.), a sacrifice fly by freshman Nolan Elmore (Brentwood, N.H.) and another RBI knock for Baker, but a foul out and a groundout to third base ended the game.
Sophomore Dylan Bedder (New Providence, N.J.) pitched five innings, allowing just two earned runs and striking out eight. Freshman Will Hunter (Middleton, Mass.) was touched for seven runs, just two of them earned, before sophomore Mark Monahan (Quincy, Mass.) came on in relief and conceded one earned run in an inning of work.
Stonehill starter Luke Marshall fanned 10 batters in the win, giving up just three hits in eight innings.
GAME TWO – Stonehill 7, Saint Anselm 3
In the seven-inning game to conclude the doubleheader, Stonehill pushed across two runs with help of a lead-off base hit, two Hawks wild pitches, and a throwing error on a pick-off attempt. One more came around to score for Stonehill in the fifth as another failed pick-off attempt preceded a run-scoring wild pitch.
A big four-run sixth inning put Saint Anselm behind by a 7-0 score. Stonehill drew four walks in the frame and hammered an RBI triple, lofted a sacrifice fly and used an RBI single to left field to create the sizeable lead.
Junior Kyle Maurice (Exeter, N.H.) had the biggest swing of the day for Saint Anselm, driving a three-run home run to left field in the top of the seventh to cut into the Stonehill lead. Doran had a one-out single and junior Matt Collins (Beverly, Mass.) added a base hit, setting the stage for Maurice's eighth home run of the season.
Senior Will Conaton (Windham, N.H.) allowed six earned runs in five-and-two-thirds innings, striking out eight. Junior Taylor French (Goffstown, N.H.) pitched one-third of an inning, giving up one hit but recording an out as well.
Michael White, who fired a no-hitter earlier in the season against Pace, struck out 10 in just six innings and allowed three hits. Joey Morgan gave up three hits and three earned runs in the top of the seventh, but was able to settle down and retire Saint Anselm in the relief appearance to sweep the doubleheader.
