RINDGE, N.H. - Saint Michael's College baseball sophomore Dylan Lavery (Billerica, Mass./Billerica Memorial) approached a school record by striking out 14 batters on Wednesday evening, but the Purple Knights lost a 1-0 pitcher's duel to Saint Anselm College in Northeast-10 Conference Northeast Division play at Franklin Pierce University's Pappas Field. The Purple Knights are 4-8 after losing their league opener, while the Hawks improved to 5-10 overall and 2-0 in the NE-10. Senior Michael Dougherty (Albany, N.Y./Christian Brothers Academy/Schenectady County CC) also picked up his 100th career hit during the contest.

In a game that featured only nine hits and two walks but 28 strikeouts, Lavery fanned 14 in seven innings to come within four K's of Chris Kent's '81 35-year-old program record of 18, set on April 10, 1980, against Lyndon State College. Lavery's final line included six hits, one earned run, one walk and the hard-luck loss. Sophomore Alex Winkelmann (Gilford, N.H./Tilton School) came on in relief to strike out two during a perfect eighth inning.

Senior Nicky Elderton (Shelburne, Vt./Rice Memorial) went 1-for-3 with a walk for Saint Michael's, while Dougherty and junior Matt Feeney (Portsmouth, N.H./Portsmouth) both picked up knocks. In 87 career games between Schenectady County Community College, where he spent two seasons, and Saint Michael's, Dougherty has 100 hits, a milestone reached by three other teammates since last Tuesday.

Senior Mike Hayden (Cranston, R.I./Cranston West) went 2-for-4 with the run and a double for Saint Anselm, while classmate Joe Morin (Salem, N.H./Salem) had a hit and an RBI. First-year Max Wadington (Burlington, Conn./Lewis Mills) picked up a hit and a walk, while junior Ken Morrisino (East Longmeadow, Mass./East Longmeadow) stole a pair of bases. Classmate Tom Hudon (Merrimack, N.H./Merrimack) spun a three-hit shutout, striking out 12 and walking one.

Saint Anselm threatened by putting two runners on base in each of the first three innings, but Lavery escaped each jam. After Morrisino led off the first with a single and stole second, Wadington walked, and the pair pulled off a double steal with no one out. However, Lavery struck out the final three batters swinging. After the Hawks put two on with one out in the second, the next two batters flew out.

Saint Michael's put together its first scoring opportunity during the third inning, as first-year PJ Jasak (Palmer, Mass./Wilbraham & Monson Academy) struck out but reached on a wild pitch with one out, advanced to second on a passed ball, and ultimately was stranded at third after moving there with two down. The Hawks had their third threat go for naught in the home half, as Wadington singled and reached second on an infield error, and a teammate's single moved him 90 feet with no one out. Lavery struck out the next batter, and the Purple Knights turned an inning-ending ground-ball double play.

Elderton was left on after singling with two down in the fourth, picking up his team's initial hit, and Feeney never moved beyond first base after a leadoff knock during the fifth. In the meantime, Lavery fanned the side in the fourth and fifth innings, but Saint Anselm broke through in the sixth. After Hayden doubled leading off, Morin singled down the line in right to plate the run but was caught by sophomore right fielder Drew Salk (Billerica, Mass./Billerica Memorial) at second base trying to stretch the hit into a double.

Elderton led off the seventh by walking and moving to second on a wild pitch but, following a strikeout, was cut down stealing third. The eighth inning saw a Purple Knight reach on a leadoff error and get sacrificed to second by Jasak. With two down, Dougherty blooped a single into left field for his 100th hit and drew a throw at second base to try allowing the tying run to score. Despite the runner having time to score before Dougherty was tagged out, the umpire ruled that he missed home plate. Saint Michael's went down in order in the ninth.

The Purple Knights head back into action tomorrow against Merrimack College at Trinity Stadium in Haverhill, Mass., at 7 p.m.