MANCHESTER, N.H. – The Saint Anselm College softball team came away with a convincing victory in game one against Southern New Hampshire University on Sunday before falling in a 1-0 heartbreaker to end the day.
Competing in Northeast-10 Conference play, Saint Anselm (14-11, 7-3 NE10) ran its season-long winning streak to seven games with the game one victory before losing a narrow 1-0 decision in the second game on Sunday.
Southern New Hampshire improves to 13-13 overall on the year as both programs exit the day with matching 7-3 records in NE10 play. The Hawks have now won 12 of the last 14 games against its cross-town rival since Apr. 11, 2018.
With the six-run explosion in the opener and a narrow 1-0 defeat in the second game, Saint Anselm has outscored Southern New Hampshire by a dominant 25-3 margin in the last five games. In the two games on Sunday, the Hawks pounded out 13 hits and limited Southern New Hampshire to just one unearned run on the day.
Senior Bre Klaiber (Ironton, Ohio) stroked a two-run home run in the opener against Southern New Hampshire, giving her 200 career hits between her two-season career at LIU Post and the past three years on the Hilltop.
At Saint Anselm, she has logged 80 hits in 221 at-bats (.362) and in 200 career games across five seasons, Klaiber is batting .340 (200-for-589) with 22 home runs and 128 runs batted in. Her 14 home runs hit while wearing a Saint Anselm uniform ranks seventh all-time.
Freshman Ava Caputo (Waterford, N.Y.) had three hits and drove in two runs on the day while junior Kate Irwin (Milford, Mass.) and sophomore Gracie O'Hara (Shrewsbury, Mass.) each logged two hits in on the day.
Saint Anselm returns to action against Saint Michael's on Tuesday, Apr. 12 with a doubleheader beginning at 3 p.m. at the South Athletic Fields.
GAME ONE – Saint Anselm 6, Southern New Hampshire 0
Saint Anselm logged a five-run bottom of the third inning, taking control of the game and never looking back. A lead-off walk by sophomore Brianna Belisle (South Burlington, Vt.) put the wheels in motion for the Hawks as Irwin had a bunt single to place two runners on.
Caputo singled up the middle for the game's first run and later came around to score on a single by O'Hara – a miscue in the Penmen outfield cleared the bases, creating a 3-0 advantage. With one out in the inning, the big blow came off the bat of Klaiber and her two-run home run to center field.
Saint Anselm scratched across another run in the next inning as Caputo doubled to left field, scoring Irwin who produced a one-out single and scampered home all the way from first base.
The Penmen had two runners on base in the top of the seventh inning to make things interesting. Sophomore Haile Hicks (Jefferson, N.H.) was up to the task for Saint Anselm, completing the game with five strikeouts and just two hits throughout – she retired the final batter on an infield fly.
GAME TWO – Southern New Hampshire 1, Saint Anselm 0
It was a true pitcher's duel in the second game as both teams were scoreless heading into the top of the seventh inning. Southern New Hampshire led off the inning with a line drive to third base that was not fielded cleanly by the Hawks, placing a baserunner on.
After a successful sacrifice bunt, the No. 8 hitter for Southern New Hampshire singled up the middle on a ball that just eluded the glove of freshman pitcher Sophia DiPippo (Cranston, R.I.). Pinch runner Ari Ferrier raced all the way home for what proved to be the game-winning unearned run.
Saint Anselm was retired in order in the bottom of the seventh, giving Southern New Hampshire the victory.
DiPippo stranded two Penmen runners on base in the top of the sixth, keeping Saint Anselm in the game. With two outs, the Hawks pitcher was able to induce a fly ball to right field that was corralled by freshman Stephanie Tardugno (Methuen, Mass.) to keep the game scoreless.
Tardugno and Belisle had the lone hits for Saint Anselm while Brittany Mota led Southern New Hampshire with two hits.
