Sophomore Brian Campbell led Stonehill's comeback today, as he went 3-for-5 with a double, a home run, and two RBI.

Skyhawks cut six-run deficit to one in ninth, strand two runners on base

MANCHESTER, N.H. (April 12, 2014) –Stonehill College nearly came all the way back from a six-run deficit after scoring twice in the seventh inning and three times in the ninth, but Saint Anselm College held on for a 7-6 victory this afternoon in Northeast-10 Conference Northeast Division baseball action at Sullivan Park.

Sophomore Brian Campbell (Franklin, Mass./Mount Saint Charles) keyed Stonehill's comeback attempt, as he went 3-for-5 at the plate with a double, a home run, and two RBI, while senior Dan Fratus (Plymouth, Mass./Plymouth North) also recorded three hits and knocked in a pair of runs. Sophomore Chris Hoyt (Walpole, Mass./Xaverian Brothers) went 2-for-5 with two runs, and junior Christian Baglini (Milford, Conn./Notre Dame High) went 1-for-4 with one RBI and one run.

Senior Zack Soulier (Milford, Conn./Jonathan Law) dropped to 5-2 on the season with the loss after a tough outing in which he gave up seven runs on nine hits in 3.2 innings of work. Soulier recorded one strikeout and issued five walks before being relieved by classmate Charlie DeFrancesco (Lincoln, Mass./Lincoln Sudbury). DeFrancesco made Stonehill's comeback attempt possible with an impressive performance, as he went four innings without allowing a single hit while walking two and recording two strikeouts.

Saint Anselm was led offensively by seniors Matt Wojichowski (Portsmouth, R.I./Portsmouth) and Dan Lagasse (Londonderry, N.H./Londonderry), and freshman Nick Bragole (Newburyport, Mass./Saint John's Prep). Wojichowski went 2-for-2 with a home run and one RBI, while Lagasse was 2-for-4 with one RBI and Bragole had two hits and one RBI as well.

Junior Dave Kent (N. Falmouth, Mass./Avon Old Farms) earned the win for the Hawks after starting the game and going eight innings while giving up three runs on seven hits with seven strikeouts and one walk. Sophomore Seve Llanio (Glen Arm, Md./Gilman School) took over for Kent and gave up two runs in just 0.1 innings on the mound, and freshman Christopher Bunero (Budd Lake, N.J./Pope John XXIII Regional) got the final two outs but allowed one run on two hits.

Sophomore Chris Hoyt went 2-for-5 with a pair of runs in Stonehill's 7-6 loss to Saint Anselm.

After a scoreless first, Stonehill got the first run of the game in the top of the second on a sacrifice fly by freshman Eddie Bowler (Hingham, Mass./Hingham). Saint Anselm tied the contest in the bottom half of the inning on Wojichowski's third home run of the season, and then took the lead later in the frame when freshman Frank D'Amato (Cranston, R.I./La Salle Academy) scored on a wild pitch.

Neither team scored in the third, but the Hawks put five runs on the board in the fourth to take a 7-1 lead. Bragole and Lagasse recorded consecutive RBI singles with one out in the inning, and three batters later freshman MacNeill Finnegan (Old Saybrook, Conn./Xavier) delivered a bases-clearing double, which spelled the end of Soulier's outing.

Stonehill cut into Saint Anselm's lead in the seventh, as Campbell clubbed a two-run shot to center field, and the Skyhawks added three more runs in the ninth as their comeback fell just short.

Junior Eric Schneider (Camarillo, Calif./Saint Bonaventure) led off the ninth with an infield single, and two batters later senior Billy Karalis (Pawtucket, R.I./Bishop Feehan) walked to put two runners on base with one out. Hoyt followed with a single to load the bases, and after Campbell flied out to left field, Baglini drove in a run with a hit by pitch. With the bases still loaded, Fratus drove in two more runs with a single to left field to bring Stonehill to within one, at 7-6. Senior Anthony Pagano (Cranston, R.I./Cranston West) came up next with the potential game-tying runner on second base, and grounded into a fielder's choice to end the contest.

Stonehill (16-14, 6-7 NE-10) and Saint Anselm (10-21, 4-10 NE-10) will be right back in action tomorrow with a doubleheader beginning at noon. Stonehill will then be on the road for two more contests next week, at Bentley University on Tuesday and Mercy College on Thursday.

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