Seniors help Seahawks sweep Scots

NEWPORT, R.I. - Nine seniors on the Salve Regina University baseball team contributed to the Seahawks sweep of Gordon College during Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) baseball action at Reynolds Field, 12-2 and 6-1. With the sweep, Salve Regina improves to 17-9 overall and 8-4 in CCC play; the Scots fall to 12-11 overall and 7-7 in the league.

Three seniors started Game One - catcher Dominic Di Sano (Central Falls, R.I.), firstbaseman Anthony Conte (Georgetown, Mass.), and rightfielder Tyler Colby (Easton, Conn.). The Seahawks collected five hits and seven runs in the bottom of the second. Colby had the first hit of the game leading off the Seahawk second frame.

Alek Kucich (Old Brookville, N.Y.) reached on an infield dribbler down the first base line. Three successive walks from left-handed Scots' starter Roland LaPointe (Leominster, Mass.) plated the first two runs for Salve Regina. Hunter Sleeper (Arlington, Mass.) and Conte earned RBI with their bases on balls. Top of the order hitter Ryan Kelly (Waldwick, N.J.) laced a two-run double down the left field line.

Di Sano followed with a two-run double in the same spot as Kelly's for a 6-0 lead before Colby had his second hit of the inning and traded places with Di Sano with a run-scoring double to left center.

Kelly made it a 9-0 score with his two-run homer to left field in the fourth inning. His second homerun of the week (and season) gives Kelly a share of the league lead with four other players including Di Sano.

Seahawk starting pitcher Kyle Pheland (No. Scitutate, R.I.) brought a perfect game into the fifth inning. Scots right fielder Alonzo Martinez (El Paso, Texas) spoiled perfection and the no-hit bid with a ground rule double to left. Travis Pullen (Las Vegas, Nev.) also doubled to left to spoil the shutout bid. Pullen later stole home on the back end of a double-steal with his shortstop Alex Smith (Wethersfield, Conn.).

Salve Regina got three runs in its fifth inning with another bases-loaded walk for Conte and a two-run single for Kelly. The sophomore center fielder finished with three hits in four at bats and two runs scored plus six runs batted in.

Three more seniors had pinch-hit appearances in the three-run fifth - Nicholas Dell'Anno (Reading, Mass.), Salvatore Cumella (Ridgefield, N.J.), and Alexander Trammell (Londonderry, N.H.). The first two scored on Kelly's single through the left side.

Senior Zach Zidelis (Northbridge, Mass.) pitched a clean seventh inning with one strikeout to finish off the 12-2 Seahawk victory.

Senior Vincent Roth (Pleasant Valley, N.Y.) started the second game and kept the Scots off the board through the first five innings although Gordon left five runners on base in the first four frames.

Salve Regina again benefitted from control issues with the opposing pitcher as Wesley Arning (Murfreesboro, Tenn.), the league leader in ERA (0.90) and wins (five) entering the game, walked Daniel Donohue (Westbury, N.Y.) and the junior shortstop came around to score on a pair of wild pitches. Colby also walked before stealing home on the back end of a double steal with Joe Haley (No. Kingstown, R.I.).

Haley also singled in a run in the Seahawk fifth inning, off lefty reliever Matt Amore (Pequannock, N.J.), for a 3-0 lead.

Smith spoiled Roth's bid for a second straight Saturday shutout with a run-scoring single to center in the sixth inning. Martinez had scored after doubling down the left field line.

Salve Regina scored three unearned runs after two were out in the sixth inning. All three came on bases loaded walks to Colby, Haley, and Dell'Anno.

Finally, senior Kevin Lambert (Fairfield, Conn.) closed the game, although not a save situation, which included a strike out swinging on the last batter of the game.

Salve Regina hosts Plymouth State University in a non-league doubleheader on Sunday (noon); Gordon hosts Lesley on Monday.