Northborough, Mass. (April 2) -- After falling in game one by a 10-4 final to visiting Saint Anselm College, the Assumption College baseball team picked up a Northeast-10 divisional split with a commanding 12-4 victory in the second game of a doubleheader played at the New England Baseball Complex.

In the first game, the Hawks struck for four runs on five hits in the top of the second to seize the early lead for Saint Anselm. Leading the attack in that inning was an RBI double from Jon McQuarrie, followed by another run in the third on a McQuarrie sacrifice fly for the 5-0 advantage. Assumption cut the lead substantially in the bottom of the third as a two-RBI double to left by junior Tom Paine (Upton, Mass./Nipmuc Regional)  and a single to left center by  sophomore Mike Coggeshall (Shrewsbury, Mass./Shrewsbury) scored Paine for a 5-3 margin after three full innings.

The Hawks added a pair in the bottom of the fifth as back-to-back solo shots to left by Nick Bragole and John Marculitis chased Assumption starter Steve Flynn (Worcester, Mass./St. Peter-Marian) from the game as Saint Anselm led 7-3. After two runs in the sixth and a solo run in the seventh, the Hounds capped the scoring in the bottom of the ninth as a two-out double to left by senior Greg O'Donnell (Northbridge, Mass./Northbridge) that scored junior Michael Panza (West Haven, Conn./Notre Dame).

Flynn took the loss in the first game, dropping to 1-2 on the season, while Saint Anselm's Tom Hudon scattered 11 hits thru six innings to improve to 2-3 with the win.

In game two, the Hawks again took an early lead as single runs in the second and fourth innings staked Saint Anselm to the 2-0 edge. Assumption eventually tied the game on a two-run homer to right center by freshman Andrew Jaehnig (Quincy, Mass./Boston College) in the bottom of the fourth, setting the stage for a dramatic ending to the doubleheader.  The Hounds took the lead at 3-2 with two outs in the fifth as sophomore Matt Murphy (Cranston, R.I./Bishop Hendricken) reached on a Hawks error as the pitcher threw the ball away on a potential inning-ending play for the one-run edge.

Saint Anselm's Mike Hayden answered with a solo shot to left to tie game at 3-3, but that was the final clutch hit of the game for the Hawks. Murphy later tied the game on a ground-rule double in the eighth as the Hounds tallied nine runs in the frame for the 12-3 edge heading into the final inning. Assumption's offensive outburst featured eight batters reaching base safely in a row, sandwiched between a Coggeshall grand-slam blast to right center as Assumption notched the split.

The Hawks picked up a run in the ninth, accounting for the eight-run cushion as Saint Anselm pushed one across for the final 12-4 margin.

Murphy picked up the win for the Hounds to improve to 1-0 overall as he threw the final two innings, while Hawks' reliever Seve Llanio took the loss in 1.1 innings pitched as he drops to 0-1 for the season. Perry was outstanding in the start for the Hounds, going seven innings with six hits allowed and one earned run given up while picking up the no-decision.

Assumption sits at 4-14 overall and 1-1 in the Northeast-10, while the Hawks are now 6-12 overall and 2-14 in the league.

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