#5 ECSU hands Seahawks 13-2 loss

MANSFIELD, Conn. – The Salve Regina University baseball team dropped a 13-2 decision to #5 Eastern Connecticut State University during a non-conference contest on Thursday afternoon at the Eastern Baseball Stadium.

A winner of nine of their last 11 games, the No. 5 nationally-ranked Warriors (14-4) helped their cause with a season-high 18 hits and benefitted from six Salve Regina (8-15) errors that created ten unearned runs (ECSU's first ten runs of the game).

In his 11th career appearance, Darby pitched the first five scoreless innings, fanning seven and giving up five hits. Darby now has 18 strikeouts in his last ten innings over three appearances and has 23 punch-outs this season in 17 innings.

The top four starters in the Eastern order accounted for 11 hits and three RBI and scored seven runs. Batting cleanup, first-year sophomore DH T.J. Larivee (Salem, Mass.) had a season-high four hits (including a double) – giving him 11 multiple-hit games this year. He also scored two runs and drove in one. Batting second, junior centerfielder Mike Riemer (Ellington, Conn.) had his first two career doubles among three hits. He drove in a run and scored one.  Sophomore leadoff hitter Adam Roderick (West Hartford, Conn.) had two hits (including a triple) and two runs and drove in a run and  junior Joe Balowski (Berlin), batting third, improved his team-leadding average to  .417 by going 2-for-4 with a walk and  two run scored. Those four hitters are the top hitters on the team among regulars.

Eastern scored all of the runs it would need (three) in the second off hard-luck loser Nicholas Politelli (Warwick, R.I.), who did not allow an earned run and eight hits over the first five innings. In the second, sophomore No. 9 hitter Brendan Lynch (Wethersfield), Roderick (triple) and Riemer (double) all drove in a run with two outs. Leading 6-0, the Warriors tacked on four more in the sixth on four hits and an infield error. Larivee and junior Drew Accomando (Monroe) each had RBI singles and senior catcher Steve Cammuso (Rutland, Mass.) a sacrifice fly.

Freshman Salvatore Cumella (Ridgefield, N.J.) was credited with two of Salve Regina's six hits off six Eastern pitchers, while sophomore No. 9 hitter Anthony Conte (Georgetown, Mass.) also had two hits and drove in a run. The Seahawks had ended a seven-game slide yesterday with a pair of Commonwealth Coast Conference shutouts of Wentworth, with starting pitchers Daniel Kehew (Portsmouth, R.I.) and Kyle Pheland (North Scituate, R.I.)allowing a combined one hit in 14 innings.

The Seahawks return to action next Tuesday when they host Mass. Maritime at 3:30 p.m.

Courtesy of ECSU Sports Information