Salve Regina splits with Swarthmore to finish in Fla.

FORT MYERS, Fla. - Salve Regina University baseball (8-2) trailed in its last at bat in both games of a doubleheader with Swarthmore College at Terry Park in Fort Myers, but the Seahawks got a gift in the opener with a walk-off 3-2 victory to salvage a split with the Garnet (6-4).

Swarthmore won the second game, 5-0, behind the four-hit pitching of Joe Warren.

In the first game, the Garnet scored in the top of the third after a leadoff single from Cody Ruben, a sacrifice bunt, an infield single from John Lim, and an RBI groundout to second by Scoop Ruxin.

Salve Regina tied the score at 1-1 with a two-out sixth-inning single from Hunter Sleeper (Arlington, Mass.). Designated hitter Tim Harris (Southbury, Conn.) reached base on an error to lead off the inning. A fly out and ground out moved him into scoring position for Sleeper.

The Seahawks loaded the bases with two outs in the bottom of the seventh, but were unable to get the walk-off in that inning.

In the eighth inning, a ground out to second base produced another run for the Garnet. Nicholas Dell'Anno (Reading, Mass.) and Sleeper both walked to start the bottom of the eighth for the Seahawks. After a strikeout, Ryan Kelly (Waldwick, N.J.) was hit by a pitch to load the bases with one out. Another strikeout brought Tyler Colby (Easton, Conn.) to the plate with two outs.

On a 3-2 pitch, the senior outfielder lifted a shallow fly ball to the right side. Second baseman Nick Constantino backpedaled to the outfield grass and stumbled as the ball landed while Dell'Anno and Sleeper crossed the plate to give the Seahawks the victory.

The two-run rally in the eighth made a winner out of reliever Kevin Lambert (Fairfield, Conn.) who raised his record to 2-0 on the season.

Kelly and Ryan Sweenor (So. Kingstown, Mass.) both finished with a pair of singles on the day. Sweenor stole two bases in the nightcap while Kelly swiped one for his 33rd consecutive stolen base without being caught (33-for-33 for his career).