MANCHESTER, N.H. – The Saint Anselm College baseball team earned a hard-fought Northeast 10 Conference split with Bentley University on Saturday afternoon at Sullivan Park for day one of their weekend series.
Saint Anselm 7 (18-18, 16-12 NE10), Bentley 12 (21-15, 15-11 NE10)
Highlights
Sophomore George Slauson led the Hawks offensively, going 2-for-4 with a three-run home run, a two-run single, and five RBI.
Sophomore Coleson Kaluza recorded a two-hit day, scoring three runs and launching a solo home run in the seventh inning.
Sophomore Jake Smith added a solo home run in the fourth inning to help keep Saint Anselm within striking distance.
How it Happened
Bentley opened the scoring in the top of the first inning with an RBI walk, but Saint Anselm answered immediately in the bottom half. Slauson lined a single up the middle to plate both sophomore Jackson Powers and Kaluza, giving the Hawks an early 2-1 advantage.
After a scoreless second inning, the Falcons evened the game in the third with a solo home run before taking control in the fourth. Bentley strung together a pair of RBI singles and a three-run homer to build a 7-2 lead.
Saint Anselm responded in the bottom of the fourth as Smith launched a solo home run to left field, trimming the deficit to 7-3.
Bentley added another run in the fifth, but the Hawks answered with one of their biggest swings of the day in the bottom half. With two runners aboard, Slauson drove a three-run homer to center field, cutting the deficit to just 8-6.
The Falcons added two runs in the seventh inning, one on an RBI single and another on a throwing error, but Kaluza answered in the bottom half with a solo shot to right center to make it 10-7.
Bentley tacked on two insurance runs in the eighth inning to extend the lead to 12-7.
Saint Anselm threatened late but was unable to rally, as Bentley closed out the final four outs to secure the conference victory.
Saint Anselm 11 (19-18, 17-12 NE10), Bentley 10 (21-16, 15-12 NE10)
Highlights
Fischer paced the Hawks offense, going 2-for-3 with three RBI, including a bases-clearing double in the first inning.
Slauson turned in another strong performance, finishing 2-for-3 with a double, an RBI, two runs scored, and a walk.
Powers added a two-hit game and launched a solo home run, while sophomore Jake Smith also homered and scored twice.
How it Happened
Saint Anselm wasted no time taking control in the opening inning. Fischer delivered a clutch bases-clearing single to right field, bringing home sophomore Xavier Gonzalez, Slauson, and Kaluza for an early 3-0 lead.
The Hawks added two more runs in the second as junior Mavrick Bourdeau singled to center field, scoring Kaluza and sophomore Gavin Rigney to push the advantage to 5-0.
Bentley got on the board in the third with a sacrifice fly, but Saint Anselm answered right back in the bottom half. Fischer brought home another run on a ground ball, Smith followed with a solo home run to left, and Rigney lined an RBI double down the left field line to give the Hawks an 8-1 lead.
The Falcons responded with a big fourth inning, using a pair of home runs, an RBI single, and a sacrifice fly to cut the deficit to 8-6. Powers answered immediately for Saint Anselm in the bottom of the inning, launching a solo shot to center field to restore a three-run cushion.
Bentley added another solo homer in the fifth, but the Hawks kept the pressure on as Kaluza singled home Smith in the bottom half to make it 10-7.
Saint Anselm added an important insurance run in the sixth when Slauson doubled to left center, scoring Powers and extending the lead to 11-7.
Bentley made one final push in the seventh with a three-run home run to trim the margin to just one run, but the Hawks bullpen held firm the rest of the way.
Freshman Brayden Hickman earned the win in relief, while freshman Finn Ramseyer picked up his fifth save of the season by closing out the final inning to secure the 11-10 conference victory.
Up Next
Saint Anselm will take on Bentley tomorrow for games three and four of the series with first pitch slotted for 12:00 p.m.
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