Back-to-back tie games into ninth go against Salve Regina baseball, ending bid for CCC title

NEWPORT, R.I. - Entering the third day of the Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) 2015 Baseball Championships as one of only two unbeaten teams, Salve Regina University (24-16) suffered two heartbreaking defeats.

First, against fellow unbeaten Curry College, the Seahawks allowed an unearned run with one out in the ninth to cross the plate for a 6-5 final; and then in an elimination game with Roger Williams, a bases-loaded RBI grounder to shortstop drew a throw home but not in time as the Hawks escaped, 2-1. Both games were on neutral fields.

Roger Williams and Curry will meet for the CCC Championship on Sunday, May 3 (12 p.m.) in Game 10 of the tournament. The Colonels need just one victory; if a Game 11 is necessary (3 p.m.), the Hawks and Colonels will square off for another nine-inning contest.

The loss to the Colonels earlier today ended a program-record win streak at 12 games for Salve Regina, reached once before in 2006. The Seahawks, an ECAC participant in 2014, may receive another bid to that same tournament next week.

Game 7 - Colonels 6, Seahawks 5

Senior shortstop Daniel Donohue (Westbury, N.Y.) slugged his second home run of the season, a two-run shot in the fifth that plated David Neil (Randolph, Mass.) who had opened the frame with a single to left field.

Catcher Christian Vargas (Melbourne, Fla.) was hit by a pitch following the Donohue home run, and one out later John Militano (Miller Place, N.Y.) singled to right field. Two Colonel miscues ensued to bring home both Seahawk runners for a 4-2 lead.

Curry went back ahead with three in the bottom of the fifth before the conference's player and rookie of the year, Alex Perry (No. Attleboro, Mass.), delivered a game-tying single in the seventh. Perry's one-out basehit scored junior centerfielder Ryan Kelly (Waldwick, N.J.).

Salve Regina reliever Sean Healy (Wakefield, R.I.) pitched two and two-thirds of one-hit, scoreless ball after inheriting a jam in the fifth.

With the score 5-5 in the bottom of the ninth, Curry shortstop Derek Pizarro (Cambridge, Mass.) led off with a single and was sacrificed to second. An intentional walk put the force in effect at three infield bags and a grounder to third resulted in a throwing error to first to allow Pizarro to score the winning run.

Game 9 - Hawks 2, Seahawks 1 (elimination game)

Perry had a two-out single up the middle in the first inning to extend his hitting streak to 23 games, second only in the Seahawk record books to NCAA record-holder Damian Costantino's 60-game hit streak from 2001 to 2003.

Both starting pitchers (both freshmen) - Hawks' Jimmy Smith (Walpole, Mass.) and Seahawks' Tommy Seaver (Rocky Hill, Conn.) - allowed just one hit apiece through the first three innings. Roger Williams reached Seaver with back-to-back basehits in the fourth to produce the game's first run. Bryan Terzian (Westport, Conn.) doubled to right center with one out and Shawn Cariglio (Milford, Conn.) followed with a run-scoring single on the right field line.

Smith, who earned his first collegiate pitching victory against Salve Regina last month, had the one-hit shutout going into the sixth. Kelly and Alek Kucich (Old Brookville, Conn.) had consecutive one-out singles before Smith induced an inning-ending double-play grounder.

Senior Joe Haley (No. Kingstown, R.I.) walked to lead off the seventh against Smith. Neil followed with a single. Smith got the next two Seahawks on a foul pop and a fly to left, and almost escaped damage before Cory Blankmeyer (Centerport, N.Y.) singled through the right side to bring in Haley with the tying run.

In the Seahawk eighth, Kelly led off with a single and was sacrificed to second by Kucich. New pitcher Sam Bennett (Andover, Mass.) issued an intentional free pass to the dangerous Perry. The equally dangerous Haley lined out into a double play.

Bennett got the Seahawks in order in the ninth. Freshman Matt Moskel (Hamden, Conn.) opened the Hawk ninth with a single off Seaver. After a sacrifice bunt, Matt Wood (Walpole, N.H.) relieved Seaver. The Hawks added two more baserunners, one an intentional walk, to load the bases with one out.

Kevin Baker's (Wilbraham, Mass.) fielder's choice grounder was stopped by a diving Donohue at a pulled in shortstop. The Seahawk senior rolled to uncork a throw to the plate but it was not in time to Vargas for the force as Moskel made the Hawks winners in their second straight elimination game. Roger Williams had eliminated two-time defending champion, Endicott College, in 10 innings earlier on North Field, 5-4.