Hawks hit long ball but Seahawks better in the long run

NEWPORT, R.I. - Salve Regina University baseball defeated Roger Williams University, 10-5, on Friday afternoon at Reynolds Field on the Seahawk campus in Newport in Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) action. After both starting pitchers - sophomore righty Michael Mathews (West Hartford, Conn.) for Salve Regina, and junior righty Michael Farrell (Bellingham, Mass.) for Roger Williams - cruised through the first three innings scoreless, the Hawks struck first with a solo homer to left field by senior Eli Camner (Hamden, Conn.) to lead off the fourth.

Mathews buckled down to get three of his 10 strikeouts in that frame. His teammates gave him support by scoring four times in the bottom of the fourth. Senior Zack Smith (New Canaan, Conn.) doubled down the left field line for the second time on Friday, leading off the Seahawk fourth. Freshman third baseman Jack Betts (Narragansett, R.I.) singled up the middle to tie the score. Tristan Dacey (Wyckoff, N.J.) singled to center to put runners at the corners before Michael DeFusco (East Greenwich, R.I.) lined the first of four sacrifice flies for Salve Regina on the day. Sophomore shortstop Madden Ward (Clinton, Conn.) delivered a two-out, two-run single to plate Dacey and Dustin Siqueira (Trumbull, Conn.) who had been hit by a pitch.

The Seahawks (13-7, 4-1 CCC) scored single runs in each of the next three frames before creating greater distance in the eighth with a three-spot. Trailing 6-1 in the seventh, the Hawks (6-12-1, 2-2-1 CCC) reached Mathews for two runs before he exited with a runner on first for reliever Brett Wilkes (Franklin Lakes, N.J.). Senior Chris Bosco (North Andover, Mass.) made it a one-run game (6-5) with his two-run homer to left field.

Dacey led off the Seahawk seventh with a single, advanced to second on a wild pitch and then to third on a groundout, before Sean O'Malley's (Darien, Conn.) sacrifice fly to center field brought the designated hitter home.

In the eighth, Anthony Cieszko (Woodcliff Lake, N.J.) led off with a walk and was standing on third after Ward bunted safely and moved over on a Hawk throwing error. Dylan Ketch (Clinton, Conn.) lifted his sacrifice fly to left field to score Cieszko. Smith plated Ward with fourth basehit of the game. Smith later scored after Dacey reached on an error.

Wilkes allowed a two-out single in the ninth before shutting the door for his second consecutive appearance with a save.

Salve Regina hosts a CCC doubleheader against defending tournament champion Western New England University on Saturday at noon. Seahawk supporters have organized a fundraiser for Fed Up With Cancer.