Box Score

St. Leo, Fla. - The American International College baseball team dropped an 8-5 decision to Saint Anselm, which improved to 4-6 on the year, in a non-conference contest to open the 2008 campaign. Senior David Dest (Orange, Conn.) went 2 for 3 at the plate and drove in a pair of runs for the Yellow Jackets.

AIC took an early 2-0 lead in the top of the first as each of the first three batters recorded a single to load the bases and scored the game's first run on junior Kaving Farrell's (Wilbraham, Mass.) ground out to third. Two batters later, freshman Dan Mooney (Bennington, Vt.) singled to plate senior Jason Rustio (Southington, Conn.).

The Yellow Jackets added runs in the second and fourth innings on an RBI-single and a sac fly, respectively, from Dest to take a 4-0 lead. Saint Anselm then exploded for five runs in the bottom of the fifth to take its first lead of the game.

The Hawks loaded the bases with two outs and scored all five runs without recording a hit the rest of the inning as four runs were walked in and one was scored when freshman Matt Sucharewicz (Peabody, Mass.) was hit by a pitch.

AIC tied the game in the top of the sixth when freshman Herb Coggeshall (Coventry, Conn.) reached on a fielders choice, scoring classmate John Shivo (Ayer, Mass.) from third. The game didn't stay tied for long though as senior Ryan Gargan (Byfield, Mass.) crushed a three-run home run in the bottom half of the frame to give the Hawks the lead for good.

The Yellow Jackets put together a scoring threat in the top of the seventh and final inning, loading the bases with one out before freshman Jimmy Garrigan (Plymouth, Mass.) entered the game and got Shivo to ground into a double play to secure the win.

The Yellow Jackets will next take on Bentley in a non-conference game hosted by Rolling College in Winter Park, Florida Sunday at 3 p.m.