The Saint Anselm College baseball team faced a tough start to Northeast-10 (NE10) Conference play, dropping both games of a high-scoring doubleheader against American International College (AIC) on Saturday. Despite strong offensive performances, the Hawks fell 23-9 in the opener and 11-8 in the seven-inning nightcap at Bedard Field.

AIC wasted no time taking control, jumping out to a 10-0 lead by the fourth inning. The Hawks finally got on the board in the fifth, scoring twice. The Yellow Jackets responded though, having an 11-run bottom half of the inning.

Saint Anselm showed some resilience, but late, as freshman Jackson Powers delivered a two-run double and senior Daniel Scolaro launched a two-run homer in the seventh, but AIC’s offense was better.

Despite the loss, Powers had a breakout performance, recording his first career multi-hit game, while sophomore Brendan Gonzalez reached base four times.

The Hawks came out swinging in the second game, building an early 5-0 lead with a two-run homer by sophomore Mavrick Bourdeau and an RBI double from junior Shea Howrigan. AIC was able to get out of the deficit using a three-run home run. 

Saint Anselm tried to come back, with freshman George Slauson delivering an RBI double in the sixth, but AIC added three more runs to secure the win. The Hawks managed to plate one final run in the seventh but fell short in their comeback bid.

Bourdeau was a standout for the Hawks, scoring three runs and driving in two, while Slauson added two hits and two RBIs.

While the Hawks lost their NE10 season opener, we are expecting a strong comeback against SNHU at Sullivan Park. The team had non-conference games starting in February, and their results reflected their first game. The baseball team has the skill and the numbers to be in the NE10 championships, and with freshmen like Jackson Powers the team may have a newfound strength. Go support the Hawks team March 29th, in a home match against Saint Michae’s at 12:00 pm and 3:00 pm.