Smith, Perry hit long ball but Seahawks fall short

SEAHAWK BASEBALL RESULTS
#25 Rowan 10, #24 Salve Regina 8
Henley Field - Lakeland, Fla.
Friday, March 9, 2018

Summary
LAKELAND, Fla. - Junior captain Zack Smith (New Canaan, Conn.) went 3-for-3 with a homerun and four runs scored, but the Seahawks fell two runs shy as No. 25 Rowan University defeated No. 24 Salve Regina University, 10-8, at Henley Field on Friday afternoon. Senior Alex Perry (No. Attleboro, Mass.) blasted a two-run homer in the fifth inning that gave Salve Regina its second and last lead of the game, 3-2. The Profs scored five times in the top of the sixth to take control, before holding on for the 10-8 final. Perry tripled in two in the Seahawks' last at-bat and scored the final run on a balk.

Series and Streaks
These two teams met for the second time in Florida in less than 365 days, but the first time with both nationally-ranked in the D3Baseball.com Top 25 weekly poll. In the previous week both were receiving votes; as of this meeting Rowan is No. 25 and Salve Regina is No. 24 in the posting last Tuesday. Rowan has won both meetings, 6-2 and 10-8.

Three Seahawk Stars of the Game

1. Salve Regina junior Zack Smith (New Canaan, Conn.) reached base in all five plate appearances with three hits, including a homerun, and two walks. He crossed the plate four times to account for half of the Seahawks' eight runs.
2. Salve Regina senior Alex Perry (No. Attleboro, Mass.) had seven total bases with a homerun and a triple in three at-bats. He drove in four runs and scored three.
3. Salve Regina freshman Michael DeFusco (East Greenwich, R.I.) picked up his first collegiate basehit courtesy of a ground ball hitting teammate Tristan Dacey (Wyckoff, N.J.) on the base paths. Following that DeFusco delivered two more singles including a two-out, two-run basehit in the seventh inning.

Key Stats of the Game
Seahawk pitchers issued nine bases on balls and hit a pair of Profs. Rowan scored in each of the final five frames.

Turning Point
In the top of the sixth, Rowan trailed 3-2 before bringing nine Profs to the plate and scoring five runs. Seahawk reliever Michael Mathews (West Hartford, Conn.) retired the first batter on a foul fly to Zack Smith in right before issuing a walk and a single. Senior Jonathan Lynch (Cumberland, R.I.) succeeded Mathews and allowed three singles and a walk before getting the final two outs of the frame. Two runs scored on wild pitches, freshman Justin Provost had a run-scoring basehit up the middle, and Anthony Harrold knocked in two runs with a single to right.

Quick Hits

• Zack Smith also added a stolen base.
• Justin Provost had three RBI for the Profs - a bases-loaded sac fly (line drive) to right, a sixth-inning single up the middle, and a seventh-inning single to left center.
• Profs starter Drew Ryback worked five innings allowing three runs to earn the pitching victory (3-0).
• Reliever Jordan Friedman pitched to two batters in the ninth and induced a double-play grounder and bouncer to short to earn the save.
• Seahawks starter Jimmy Fitzgerald (Canton, Mass.) went four and two-thirds allowing five hits, five walks, and two earned runs while striking out five Profs.

Next Up
No. 24 Salve Regina (1-1) plays Wartburg at 6 p.m. from Henley Field, after the Knights finish their game with the Corsairs of UMass Dartmouth on Sat., March 10. No. 25 Rowan has a night game against Ripon in Auburndale, Fla. (6:30 p.m. on Sat., March 10).