COLCHESTER, Vt. - In the earliest home opener in program history, the Saint Michael's College baseball team split a Northeast-10 Conference doubleheader with Saint Anselm College on Friday at Doc Jacobs Field, taking a 5-3 decision in the nightcap after the Hawks captured the opener, 16-8. Senior Andrew Lanthier (Orwell, Vt./Fair Haven Union) tied a 31-year-old school record by stealing his 36th career base.
 
RECORDS

• Saint Michael's (4-14, 1-3 NE10), Saint Anselm (9-15, 3-3 NE10)

DOUBLEHEADER FACTS

• With his 36th career stolen base, senior Andrew Lanthier (Orwell, Vt./Fair Haven Union) tied Brian Rayder's '93 program record, set as a senior in 1993.
• Junior Evan Balian (Lynnfield, Mass./Lynnfield) blasted a home run in each end of the twinbill. He is now tied for eighth in school annals with seven career dingers.

GAME 1
SAINT MICHAEL'S LEADERS

• Balian, 2-for-4, 1 R, 2 RBI, 1 BB, 1 HR
• Lanthier, 1-for-4, 2 R, 3 RBI, 1 HR, 1 HP
• Junior Max Kolifrath (Millbury, Mass./Millbury), 1-for-2, 1 R, 2 BB, 1 HP
• Junior Terence Moynihan (Stoneham, Mass./Saint Mary's), 2-for-5, 1 RBI
• Sophomore Braedon Jones (Williston, Vt./Champlain Valley Union/UMass Dartmouth), 2.2 IP, 6 H, 5 R, loss

OPPONENT LEADERS

• Senior Nolan Elmore, 2-for-5, 2 R, 2 RBI, 2 BB, 1 2B, 1 SB
• Junior Jax Budgell, 1-for-2, 2 R, 2 RBI, 2 BB, 2 HP
• Sophomore Shea Howrigan, 2-for-4, 2 R, 2 RBI, 2 BB, 1 2B, 1 SB
• First-year Mavrick Bourdeau, 2-for-5, 3 R, 2 RBI, 2 BB, 1 3B, 1 SB
• Senior Dallas Vaughan, 6 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 8 K, win

THE ACTION

• Sophomore Ben Rose's two-run double during a four-run third inning helped the Hawks lead 6-0 by the fourth frame.
• Balian's two-run homer chipped the deficit to four runs in the sixth, as 18 runs were scored between the teams over the final seven half innings.
• After the teams traded two-run seventh innings, Howrigan's two-run double keyed a three-run eighth to provided the Hawks an 11-4 lead.
• Saint Michael's countered with four runs in the home half, with Lanthier's two-out, three-run blast off the exterior fence in right field making it 11-8.
• However, Saint Anselm put the game away with five runs in the ninth.

GAME 2
SAINT MICHAEL'S LEADERS

• Balian, 3-for-4, 2 R, 3 RBI, 1 2B, 1 HR
• Kolifrath, 0-for-2, 1 R, 1 BB, 1 HP
• First-year Richard Gilboy (South Portland, Maine/South Portland), 2-for-4, 2 RBI, 1 2B
• Sophomore Keegan Burke (Amherst, N.H./Souhegan), 7.2 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 9 K, win
• Sophomore Ryan Canty (Shelburne, Vt./Champlain Valley Union), 1.1 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 1 K in relief, save

OPPONENT LEADERS

• Elmore, 2-for-4, 2 R, 1 RBI, 1 HR
• First-year Austin Brune, 1-for-3, 1 BB
• Senior Matthew Michel, 5 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 8 K, no-decision
• First-year Quinn Macdonald, 1 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER in relief, loss

THE ACTION

• Elmore and Balian traded solo home runs in the first inning.
• The teams combined for five 1-2-3 innings between the second inning and the top of the sixth.
• In the home half of the sixth, Gilboy's two-run double put the Purple Knights ahead for good.
• Balian padded the lead with a two-out, two-run single in the seventh.
• The visitors loaded the bases with no one down in the ninth before a hit batsman and an error plated a pair of runs, and Saint Anselm was behind 5-3 with two out and the bases packed. Canty induced a groundout by the final batter, with Kolifrath picking a low throw to first base out of the dirt for the last out.

NEXT SAINT MICHAEL'S GAME

• Saturday vs. Saint Anselm, 10 a.m.