Seahawks victorious in regular season finale

NEWPORT, R.I. The Salve Regina baseball team wrapped up its regular season with a decisive 14-5 win over Framingham State, Monday afternoon. The win pushes the Seahawks to 28-10 on the season while the Rams fall to 16-21 with the loss.

The Seahawks scored early and often after jumping out to a 1-0 lead in the first off an RBI-single sophomore Joe Haley (North Kingston, R.I.) to score junior Tyler Colby (Easton, Conn.).  Salve Regina scored at least a run in all but two innings and not once did the Seahawks go down in order.

Senior Justin Forman (Watertown, Mass.) tied the game for the Rams in the third with a two-out single to right field. Running with the pitch, sophomore Cameron Couillard (North Andover. Mass.) scored easily to tie the game at 1-1.

Salve Regina answered in the home half of the frame to regain the lead, 3-1. After a walk and a hit batter kicked off the inning for the Seahawks, sophomore Sean Becker (Richmond, Va.) reached first safely on a fielder's choice to load the bases. Haley singled through the right side on a 2-2 pitch to bring home Becker and freshman Ryan Kelly (Waldwick, N.J.) and give the Seahawks the lead back at 3-1.

After the two teams traded a run in the fourth to keep Savle Regina out front, 4-2, the Rams tied the game with two runs in the top of the fifth on a RBI-double from freshman Jake Wardwell (Hudson, Mass.) and ground out off the bat of senior Will Crofton (Hopkinton, Mass.).

The Seahawks answered, just as they had all game, with a run of their own in the bottom of the frame to give the lead back to Salve Regina, this time for good, 5-4.

After a 1-2-3 sixth inning for relief pitcher freshman Alex Croce (Rumford Hills, N.Y.), the Seahawks exploded for six runs to break the game open. Salve Regina scored all of its runs in the inning on just one hit and three costly Ram errors. With runners on first and second, freshman Matt Marchica (Westminster, Vt.) scored the Seahawks first run of the game after successfully stealing third and coming around on an errant throw to third. With junior Nicholas Dell'Anno (Reading, Mass.) now on third and freshman Rich Cianci (Chester, N.J.) on first after getting hit, Kelly flew out to center to bring home Dell'Anno for the Seahawks first out of the inning. With Becker batting, Cianci stole second and advanced to third on a wild pitch before Becker eventually walked to put runners on the corners. Cianci came around to score on the second wild pitch of the inning before Becker scored on third error of the inning to allow Haley to reach first safely. Junior Dominic Di Sano (Central Falls, R.I.) took a 2-0 pitch deep over the left field fence for the Seahawks' first hit off the inning, a two-run homer to score Haley and give Salve Regina an 11-4 lead after six innings.

With one out and the bases loaded in the top of the seventh, the Rams began to make some noise but relief pitcher sophomore Gabe Cretella (Seymour, Conn.) got Crofton to ground into a routine 6-4-3 double play and end the scoring threat.

Salve Regina tacked on three more in the bottom of the inning to push its lead to 14-4. Pinch hitter junior Stephen Crawford (Barrington, R.I.) doubled home sophomore Mark Boland (Orange, Conn.) before junior Anthony Conte (Georgetown, Mass.) came out to run for him. Kelly worked the count full and belted the sixth pitch he saw in the at bat clear over the left field fence to put the game out of reach.

Framingham appeared to not want to go quietly, however, as freshman Austin Teal (Malden, Mass.) hit his first home run of the season to cut the lead to 14-5 but freshman John McDermott (Bedford Hills, N.Y.) got junior Ivan Colon (Waltham, Mass.) to pop up to first and end the inning.

Waldwell hit a one-out single in the top of the ninth but was left on the bases as the Seahawks came away with the regular season finale win.

Freshman Branden Hoxsie (Warwick, R.I.) came away with the win on the mound for Salve Regina after pitch just one inning while Healy lead all pitchers with four strikeouts on the afternoon. Senior Chris DiCecca (Winchester, Mass.) suffered the loss for Framingham State, throwing 5.0  innings, allowing eight runs, five earned, on eight hits and two walks. DiCecce threw two wild pitches and hit two Seahawks.

Haley led the Seahawks at the plate, going 3-for-5 with four RBI while Becker scored three times and Kelly twice. Wardwell and sophomore Mark Mainini (Hull, Mass.) each had a pair of hits for the Rams.

Salve Regina returns to the diamond when they kick off the 2013 Commonwealth Coast Conference championship tournament hosting #4 Roger Williams at Reynolds Field on May 2. The Rams await the outcome of the first round of the Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference opening round games to learn of their next opponent.