MANCHESTER, N.H. – Assumption University took the opening game of the final regular season series for the Saint Anselm College baseball team on Friday afternoon by a final score of 14-3. Seniors
Zack Clough (Newbury, Mass.) and
Nolan Elmore (Brentwood, Mass.) had two-hit games for the Hawks in the loss.
UP NEXT:
- Saint Anselm concludes the 2024 season with a pair of games on Saturday, May 4th at 12:00 p.m. and 3:00 p.m. The senior Hawks student-athletes will be honored in a pregame ceremony to celebrate Senior Day.
Score: Saint Anselm 3, Assumption 14
Win: K. Keating (5-1)
Loss: M. Michel (2-6)
Records: Saint Anselm 13-28 (7-18 NE10); Assumption 17-26 (11-14)
Location: Manchester, N.H. (Sullivan Park at Kavanagh Fields)
Date: Friday, May 3, 2024
Attendance: 57
HOW IT HAPPENED:
- Assumption opened the game with back-to-back base hits after leadoff man Owen Podolec singled and Chris Klein doubled to center to put runners in scoring position. A sacrifice fly by Cody Smith scored Podolec and made it a 1-0 game.
- Senior starting pitcher Matthew Michel (Haverhill, Mass.) got out of trouble in the top of the first by striking out one and then forcing a lineout. However, the Greyhounds got Michel back in the top of the second with two more runs. Assumption loaded the bases with one out and Podolec brought in a pair with a single to left.
- Michel then picked off Podolec at first base and struck out Klein to end the second with the score at 3-0, Assumption.
- The Greyhounds once again loaded the bases in the top of the third with two outs after a couple of singles and a walk, but Michel punched out Smith with a called third strike to keep his team down by just three.
- Freshman Brendan Gonzalez (Mechanicville, N.Y.) began the bottom of the fourth with a leadoff single followed by a walk by Elmore. A sacrifice bunt by freshman Mavrick Bourdeau (Billerica, Mass.) put runners on second and third with one out, but two groundouts ended the inning.
- Freshman pitcher Quinn MacDonald (Kennebunkport, Maine) replaced Michel to start the top of the fifth on the mound for Saint Anselm. Assumption launched two home runs in the inning to increase their lead to 5-0. Jack Barry and Matthew Holbrook each cleared the center field fence for the Greyhounds.
- Freshman pitcher Matt Bianculli (Walpole, Mass.) came on for MacDonald to start the top of the sixth. Assumption got to the first-year by posting a four hit, six run inning. Barry ripped a two-run double to center and then scored on a double down the right-field line by Chris Rabias. Rabias later scored on a dropped fly ball and then Max Lefrancois, the ninth hitter in the lineup, smashed a two-run homer to left-center, making it an 11-0 Greyhounds lead.
- Saint Anselm responded with a run in the bottom of the sixth inning. Clough led off with a double to center. Elmore then singled to left and after a bobble by the left fielder, Clough came around to cross home plate for the first Hawks run of the game.
- With one out and a runner on first in the top half of the seventh, junior Roman Ercoli (Concord, Mass.) replaced Bianculli on the mound. After allowing a single that put runners on first and second, Ercoli forced a flyout by Rabias before fanning Holbrook to end the inning.
- The home team put two runners on base in the bottom of the seventh with junior Daniel Scolaro (Quincy, Mass.) being hit by a pitch and freshman Austin Brune (Billerica, Mass.) singling up the middle, but two straight strikeouts helped the Greyhounds get out of the jam.
- In the top of the eighth, Lefrancois recorded another RBI with a double to center and later scored on an RBI single by Klein as Assumption extended their advantage to 13-1.
- Elmore started the bottom of the eighth with a double to right-center and Bourdeau moved him to third with a single through the left side. Senior Aidan Dow (Lynn, Mass.) scored Elmore after grounding out to first base.
- With Bourdeau on third base and one out later in the same inning, sophomore Shea Howrigan (Enosburg Falls, Vt.) grounded out to the shortstop, which allowed Bourdeau to touch home to make it a 13-3 game.
- Assumption added one final run in the top of the ninth. The Greyhounds loaded the bases with one out against senior pitcher Andrew MacDonald (Amesbury, Mass.). MacDonald did a nice job limiting the damage, allowing just one run to score on a sacrifice fly by Lefrancois that made it 14-3.
- Clough singled with two outs in the bottom of the ninth, but the Hawks could not score any more runs and the game ended with that same scoreline.
INSIDE THE NUMBERS:
- Saint Anselm recorded three runs on eight hits and left eight runners on base. Assumption had 14 runs on 20 hits and left 15 runners on base. The Greyhounds committed two errors in the game, while the Hawks had one.
- Assumption recorded seven extra base hits on three home runs and four doubles. Both extra base hits by Saint Anselm came on doubles.
- Clough and Elmore led the Hawks with two hits apiece. Dow, Elmore, and Howrigan each had one RBI for Saint Anselm.
- Michel tossed four innings on the mound and allowed three earned runs on eight hits while striking out five batters after throwing 67 pitches. MacDonald came on in relief and threw one inning, allowing two earned runs on three hits to go along with two walks and a strikeout.
- Bianculli lasted 1.1 innings and allowed six runs, four of which were earned, on six hits and a pair of walks while striking out one. Ercoli went 1.2 innings and struck out two with two earned runs and four hits allowed. MacDonald threw the final frame for Saint Anselm and surrendered one hit, three walks, and one earned run.
- Kyle Keating earned the win on the mound for Assumption after tossing six full innings. He did not allow an earned run and struck out five batters. Lefrancois led the Greyhounds with a four-hit, four RBI day at the plate.
- This marked the 132nd game between these two programs in a series that dates back to 1982. Saint Anselm is now 50-81-1 all-time against Bentley.
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