Seahawks sweep on Senior Day, 7-5 and 15-0 (7 inn)

NEWPORT, R.I. (April 30, 2022) - Trailing 5-0 entering the bottom of the eighth inning in Game One, Salve Regina University outscored Western New England, 22-0, in the next eight innings to sweep the Golden Bears in a Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) baseball doubleheader on Senior Day for the Seahawks at Brother Michael Reynolds Field. Salve Regina (22-9-2, 12-0-2 CCC) scored seven runs after loading the bases in the eighth with one out on back-to-back hits from Chris Veneruso (Westport, Conn.) and Matt D'Amato (Midland Park, N.J.) and then a walk to Dylan Ketch (Clinton, Conn.). Consecutive fielding errors on the left side of the infield contributed to the first three runs for the Seahawks, and the departure of starter Kevin Hummer (Shrewsbury, Mass.). Another error on a sacrifice bunt from Tyler Petrosino (Beverly, Mass.) pulled the Seahawks within one, 5-4. Brandon Grover (Ashland, Mass.) delivered the tying and go-ahead runs in the eighth with a single to left center. Andrew Roman (Monson, Mass.) shut the door in the ninth to earn his fourth save of the season. Eddie Hardiman (Danvers, Mass.), who got the final out of the top of the eighth, earned his first win of the season (1-1).

Seahawks honored seniors/grad students Patrick Maybach (Saunderstown, R.I.), Dylan Ketch (Clinton, Conn.), Jared Beniers (Abington, Conn.), Dustin Siqueira (Trumbull, Conn.), Michael Mathews (West Hartford, Conn.), Ryan O'Donnell (Saunderstown, R.I.), Andrew Roman (Monson, Mass.) before the doubleheader.

Brayden Clark (Beverly, Mass.) (5-1) got the start in Game Two, his 10th appearance (all starts), and scattered four hits over six innings while striking out seven Golden Bears. Mathews pitched a 1-2-3 seventh inning and the game ended on the Mercy Rule with the Seahawks leading by double-digits (15-0) after seven.

Offensively, Salve Regina only had four scoring innings all day, and put up a crooked number in all four. The seven-run eighth of Game One preceded three five-run outbursts in Game Two. Golden Bear starting pitcher CJ Willis (Auburn, Mass.) got around two walks and a single in his one inning of work with a line out double play. In the bottom half of the second, the Seahawks scored five runs on only two hits. Four bases on balls, a hit batsman, and an error helped the cause.

The Seahawks batted around the order again in the fifth with four guys plunked by a pitch. Freshman Matthew Neal (Ashland, Mass.) led the inning with a single and Beniers took his base as a pinch runner. Tyler Cannoe (Schenectady, N.Y.), Tyler Petrosino, and Chris Veneruso were each hit in three successive plate appearances. D'Amato drew an RBI walk, Wil McCarthy (Pembroke, Mass.) wore a pitch to bring home another run, and Ryan Graciale (Swampscott, Mass.) drilled a 2-2 pitch to right field for a two-run single.

In a five-run sixth inning, McCarthy's three-run bomb to left cleared the hedges beyond the bullpens and capped the scoring in a 15-0 victory.

Western New England (16-15-1, 6-8 CCC), which falls to fifth in the league standings, plays at Wheaton College tomorrow in Norton, Mass. Seahawks rest until hosting a doubleheader with Clark University on Wednesday, May 3, at 1:30 p.m.