Four Seahawks combine on one hitter; one hitter crushes grand slam for four runs

NEWPORT, R.I. (March 1, 2020) - With temperatures hovering just above freezing, Salve Regina University baseball got its 2020 season off to a hot start with a 13-0 win over visiting Fitchburg State University at Reynolds Field on the Seahawk campus.

Seahawk captain starting pitcher and pre-season All-New England Patrick Maybach (Saunderstown, R.I.) breezed through his first frame with a 1-2-3 including two strikeouts. Junior captain Madden Ward (Clinton, Conn.) led off the bottom of the first by reaching on an infield error. Fellow captain and Clinton neighbor Dylan Ketch (Clinton, Conn.) followed with a single to left. Freshman first baseman Tyler Cannoe (Schenectady, N.Y.) had an RBI single in his first collegiate at bat to plate Ward with the first run of 2020.

Junior second baseman Anthony Cieszko (Woodcliff Lake, N.J.) drove in Ketch from third with a grounder to the right side. With runners at the corners, freshman outfielder Matt D'Amato (Midland Park, N.J.) stole second and Cannoe came home on a throwing error to make it 3-0 after one, and only one run was earned.

Maybach walked Vincent Eramo (Shirley, Mass.) to open the 2nd, but after a pop to Cieszko at second, the senior lefty ended the inning with a comebacker 1-6-3 double-play grounder.

Ward tripled with two outs in the 2nd off Falcon starter (righty AND lefty; lefty today) Matthew Ambrosino (Bradenton, Fla.) but was stranded at third. Maybach had two more Ks in the top of the 3rd.

Junior center fielder Michael DeFusco (East Greenwich, R.I.) singled to center field to bring home Cannoe who had led off the bottom of the 3rd with a single to right field. Cannoe's sacrifice fly in foul territory in the 4th made it 5-0 for Salve Regina.

Maybach finished his work in the 5th but striking out four Falcons. After the first two Ks, senior catcher Matthew Pingitore (Rutland, Mass.) swung and missed at strike three and reached first on a passed ball. Third baseman Joshua Macomber (Berkley, Mass.) followed with the only basehit by a Falcons' batter, a clean single over Cieszko's head into right center.

Junior righty Michael Mathews (West Hartford, Conn.) pitched the next two frames for the Seahawks and struck out one while hitting one of the seven batters he faced.

In the bottom of the 6th with senior captain Zach Barlok (Cheshire, Conn.) on third and Ward on second, Ketch dribbled a roller to the left side. Barlok broke for home before getting caught in a rundown. When the clay settled, Ward stood on third and Ketch stood on first with a fielder's choice grounder that scored Barlok with the sixth run.

After a walk to Cannoe loaded the bases with one out, Salve Regina seventh-year head coach Eric Cirella '05 inserted pinch-hitter Justice Welch (Hackensack, N.J.) for his first collegiate at bat. The freshman right-handed batter watched the first three Falcon firings miss the plate before the fourth pitch made it a 3-1 count. On the fifth pitch, Welch took his first swing and launched a grand slam to left field.

Justice Welch takes his first swing as a member of @SalveBaseball and launches a grand slam in the bottom of the 6th for a 10-0 @SalveRegina lead pic.twitter.com/fyICFZvsQM

— Salve Regina Sports (@SalveAthletics) March 1, 2020

First-year righty Andrew Preuit (Portsmouth, R.I.) worked a 1-2-3 8th inning with two strikeouts. In the bottom of the frame, Seahawks scored three more runs with Jared Beniers (Abington, Mass.) and Ward contributing RBI.

Junior righty Andrew Roman (Monson, Mass.) finished the season-opening victory for the Seahawks with three strikeouts in the 9th.

The Seahawks even the all-time series with the Falcons at three wins apiece, and avenge a season-opening 5-0 loss in 2019 at Bill Beck Field on the campus of the University of Rhode Island. Salve Regina (1-0) next travels to Arcadia, Pa., for a two-game slate with Arcadia (Fri., March 6) and Oswego (Sat., March 7). Fitchburg State (0-1) stays on the road for games at Wheaton (Tue., March 3) and at Dean (Thu., March 5) before the Falcons fly south for their Florida schedule.