MANCHESTER, N.H. – On Tuesday afternoon, Pace University Baseball saw an eight-run lead disappear, falling 14-9 to Saint Anselm College in a back-and-forth Northeast 10 Conference (NE10) matchup at Sullivan Park. The Setters erupted for eight runs in the opening two innings and collected 15 hits, but Saint Anselm rallied back and used a four-run eighth inning to pull away. The Blue and Gold moved to 21-22 overall and 16-16 in NE10 play with 10 games remaining in the regular season.
Pace came out swinging in the first, jumping ahead 2-0 on a two-run double from
Manny Carreras. The offense exploded in the second.
Rocco Cimino doubled home a run,
Brayden Sweppenhiser added an RBI single, and
Benjamin Tullo delivered the biggest swing of the afternoon with a grand slam to left center as the Setters built an 8-0 lead.
Saint Anselm answered with six runs in the bottom of the second, but the Blue and Gold still carried an 8-6 lead into the third. The Hawks added one in the third and two in the fourth to take a 9-8 lead before Pace settled in and kept the game within reach.
The Setters pulled even in the eighth when Sweppenhiser launched a solo home run to left center, his second homer in as many games, tying the game at 9-9.
The Hawks answered in the bottom half, capitalizing on traffic on the bases before a three-run double broke the game open as part of a four-run inning that created the final margin.
Sweppenhiser led Pace with three hits, including a home run, two RBIs, and three runs scored, while Carreras went 3-for-4 with two RBIs. Tullo drove in four with the grand slam and added three hits, while
Cristian Rodriguez finished with three hits, and Cimino added an RBI double.
Dominic Carleo got the start and struck out two over two innings, while
Joe O'Toole provided a scoreless inning in relief.
Tyler Rodriguez was charged with the loss.
Despite the setback, the Setters continued their recent offensive surge, totaling nine runs or more for the fourth time in their last six games.
The Setters return home Friday to close out the regular season with a four-game series against No. 22 Southern New Hampshire University, with the first pitch of game one set for 3:00 p.m.
