Joe Cassella scored the winning run for Western New England in the championship-clinching game at Reynolds Field. (Photo by Tyler Benjamin)
Joe Cassella scored the winning run for Western New England in the championship-clinching game at Reynolds Field. (Photo by Tyler Benjamin)

Golden Bears clinch sixth title in 12th

SEAHAWK BASEBALL RESULTS
CCC CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES
(best-of-three)
[A] Western New England 11, Salve Regina 3
[B] Western New England 7, Salve Regina 6 (12 innings)
Reynolds Field - Newport, Rhode Island
Friday-Sunday, May 11-13, 2018

Recap from Friday's action here

Summary
NEWPORT, R.I. - Western New England University junior Joe Cassella (Wallingford, Conn.) crossed the plate with the championship-winning run just 17 minutes into the resumption of a 6-6, 12-inning game halted from Friday evening, as the Golden Bears captured their sixth Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) baseball title, and first since 2012, with a 7-6 final in 12 innings to complete a sweep of the best-of-three series with Salve Regina University at Reynolds Field.

Series and Streaks
Western New England leads the all-time series, 29-8, and swept the regular-season and post-season meetings this year (4-0). Salve Regina had won the previous post-season meeting, 9-1, in Springfield, Mass., in 2016 on its way to two straight conference championships.

Three Seahawk Stars of the Series

  1. Salve Regina junior Zack Smith (New Canaan, Conn.) had RBI basehits in both games.
  2. Salve Regina senior Christian Vargas (Melbourne, Fla.) had three basehits, reached base five times in game two of the series, and worked behind the plate in all 21 innings.
  3. Salve Regina senior Alex Perry (No. Attleboro, Mass.) banged out three extra-basehits in the series - a triple and two doubles.

Key Stat of the Series
Seahawk fielders committed seven errors that contributed to eight unearned runs in two games. Golden Bears committed just one error in the best-of-three series.

Quick Hits

  • Colton Eremian (Boca Raton, Fla.) slugged his fifth homerun of the season (on Friday in Game B) and he now has a dozen dingers in his career.
  • Christian Vargas (Melbourne, Fla.) ranks No. 1 all-time in Seahawk record book for games played (168), most putouts (1,169) and most fielding chances (1,330).
  • John Militano (Miller Place, N.Y.) ranks No. 1 all-time in Seahawk record book for games started (166), most at bats (625), and most sacrifice hits (18).
  • Alex Perry (No. Attleboro, Mass.) ranks No. 1 all-time in Seahawk record book for runs batted in (177), total bases (362), doubles (58), most intentional walks (12), and is tied with his head coach, Eric Cirella '05, with most hits (220) in program history.
  • Patrick Maybach (Saunderstown, R.I.) ranks No. 1 all-time in Seahawk record book for lowest earned run average, minimum 100 innings pitched (1.62 in 122.1 IP).
  • Jimmy Fitzgerald (Canton, Mass.) ranks No. 1 all-time in Seahawk record book for most strikeouts per nine innings, minimum 100 innings pitched (11.41/9 in 123.0 IP).
  • Jonathan Lynch (Cumberland, R.I.) ranks No. 1 all-time in Seahawk record book for most appearances by a pitcher (52).

Next Up
Western New England (31-13, 11-5 CCC) earns the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA Division III Baseball Championships. Salve Regina (25-15) falls short in its bid for a third-straight title and 10th overall, but the Seahawks hope for an at-large bid to the NCAA post-season to become the second CCC school in baseball history to earn the honor (Golden Bears in 2013).