RINGE, N.H. – The Saint Anselm College baseball team split day two of its Northeast 10 Conference series against Franklin Pierce on Saturday at Pappas Field. The Hawks, who served as the home team, dropped game one before responding with a 16-6 win in game two to secure the series victory over the Ravens. 

Game 1 – Saint Anselm 2 (17-16, 15-10 NE10), Franklin Pierce 4 (10-24, 7-19 NE10) 

Highlights

• Junior Brendan Gonzalez went 2-for-3 at the plate, hitting one double. 

• Junior Xavier Gonzalez scored two runs while going 1-for-2 with a double and one walk. 

• Junior Quinn MacDonald pitched four complete innings for the Hawks, striking out four. 

• Senior Andrew MacDonald came in as relief, pitching three innings, allowing only one run on three hits. 

How it Happened

Franklin Pierce took an early lead in the third inning with a triple to right-center, driving in two runs to start the game up 2-0. 

Saint Anselm answered in the bottom half, as junior Mavrick Bourdeau's RBI single brought in Xavier Gonzalez to make it 2-1. The Ravens extended their lead to 3-1 in the fourth on a fielding error. 

The Hawks pulled within one in the fifth, with sophomore Gavin Rigney driving in Gonzalez on a groundout. 

Franklin Pierce added another run in the seventh on a sacrifice fly to extend its lead to 4-2, which would hold for the remainder of the contest. 

Game 2 – Saint Anselm 16 (18-16, 16-10 NE10), Franklin Pierce 6 (10-25, NE10 8-19) 

Highlights

• Bourdeau continued his momentum from game one, going 2-for-4 at the plate, scoring two runs and driving in three runs. 

• Sophomore Jackson Powers secured his fifth home run of the season, driving in three runs with the long ball, and walked twice. 

• Junior Nathaniel Leighton had a 3-for-4 performance with two RBI and a run scored. 

• Sophomore Gavin Rigney scored three runs and drove in three, including an RBI on a successful squeeze play. 

• Freshman Brayden Hickman earned the win, his first of the season, allowing two runs on four hits while issuing one walk in his two innings pitched. 

• Sophomore Jake Schoenberg came in with a solid relief appearance, tossing two complete innings and allowing just one hit and one run while striking out one. 

How it Happened

Franklin Pierce struck first with a pair of sacrifice flies to take an early lead. The Hawks had a strong showing in the bottom of the first, drawing a bases-loaded walk to get on the board before Fischer delivered a two-RBI double down the right field line. A groundout from junior Austin Brune later in the inning brought in another run, giving the Hawks a 4-2 advantage. 

The Hawks extended their lead in the second when Powers launched a three-run home run, pushing the lead to 7-2. 

Saint Anselm continued to add to its lead in the third, as Rigney executed a sacrifice bunt that allowed another run to score, stretching the lead to 8-2. 

After Franklin Pierce picked up a run on a sacrifice fly in the fifth, the Hawks answered with a strong response. Leighton drove in two runs with a double, and Bourdeau followed with an RBI double to extend the lead to 11-3. 

The Ravens added a run in the sixth, but Saint Anselm capitalized on a hit-by-pitch and a fielder's choice to bring in three more runs and maintain control of the game going into the seventh. 

Franklin Pierce made a final attempt in the seventh scoring on a hit-by-pitch and a single to left field, but the Hawks responded once again. Rigney came through with a two-RBI single to cap the scoring and secure the 16-6 victory. 

Up Next

The Hawks will meet Southern New Hampshire University for their final regular-season matchup against the Penmen. The game will be played at Sullivan Park on Tuesday, April 21 with first pitch slotted for 3 p.m.

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