Seahawks salvage a Saturday split with eighth-inning rally

WINTER HAVEN, Fla. - Salve Regina University baseball rallied for five runs in the bottom of the eighth to defeat Rochester Institute of Technology, 8-6, and salvage a split of their Saturday contests at Chain of Lakes Stadium. No. 15 Webster University (d3baseball.com) distanced itself with a four-run fifth inning in an earlier game at the ballpark for a 9-2 victory.

Tristan Dacey (Wyckoff, N.J.) and Hunter Parker (Marion, Mass.) both doubled in the opener; Dacey and Jack Betts (Narragansett, R.I.) had the Seahawk RBI. Nate Tholl had three hits for the Gorloks while Aron Hopp scored three runs.

Against the Tigers, Salve Regina (2-3) spotted the visitors a 2-0 lead on a two-out, two-run homer by Daniel Zeglen. It was 4-0 before the Seahawks scratched across two unearned runs in the bottom of the third. RIT led 6-2 and Salve Regina cut the deficit to three when Dustin Siqueira (Trumbull, Conn.) delivered a sacrifice fly in the seventh.

Seahawk catcher Dylan Ketch (Clinton, Conn.) caught a strike from centerfielder Michael DeFusco (East Greenwich, R.I.) to end the top of the eighth with a flyout, tag up double play at the plate. Ketch walked to lead off the bottom of the frame. Zack Smith (New Canaan, Conn.) singled to right field and Ketch came around to score on a throwing error. A fielder's choice grounder by Sean O'Malley (Darien, Conn.) made it a one-run game (6-5).

Madden Ward (Clinton, Conn.) drove in the tying and game-winning runs with a double to deep left field. Siqueira secured an insurance tally with his double down the left field line.

Seahawk senior righty Brett Wilkes (Franklin Lakes, N.J.) pitched two-thirds in the eighth to earn the victory in relief. Andrew Roman (Monson, Mass.) allowed a lead off double in the ninth before setting down the three Tigers in order for the save.