Sweenor homers as Salve Regina defeats Brandeis 8-3 at home

NEWPORT, R.I. - Salve Regina freshman lefty Cole Tretter (East Lyme, Conn.) pitched five shutout innings with six strikeouts and sophomore left fielder Ryan Sweenor (South Kingstown, R.I.) blasted a three-run homerun as the Seahawks (23-11) won their sixth straight game with an 8-3 victory over Brandeis on Friday afternoon.

After back-to-back non-conference victories over Wheaton (Mass.) on Thursday and Brandeis on Friday, Salve Regina will play their final CCC doubleheader of the regular season on Sunday, April 27, at rival Roger Williams with playoff seeding implications on the line. The Seahawks are 10-4 against conference opponents this spring while the Hawks are 11-3. Sunday's doubleheader begins at 2 p.m. in Bristol.

Tretter allowed just three hits while walking three as the rookie saw his season record improve to 4-0. Tretter gave way to a Seahawk bullpen that surrendered three runs, two earned, on just three hits and three walks over the final four innings.

Salve Regina took a 1-0 lead after its first at bat in the bottom of the first as junior third baseman Joe Haley (North Kingstown, R.I.) delivered a two-out, RBI single to left center that scored senior Dominic Di Sano (Central Falls, R.I.) from second base.

With Tretter shutting down the Judges lineup through five innings, the Seahawks offense gave their starter some breathing room with a five-run bottom of the fourth. After Haley walked and junior second baseman Sean Becker (Richmond, Va.) doubled to put runners on second and third, Sweenor sent a towering shot over the left field fence to put the Salve Regina ahead 4-0. A sacrifice fly to right by junior shortstop Daniel Donohue (Westbury, N.Y.) that plated senior Salvatore Cumella (Ridgefield, N.J.) from third capped off the four-run rally in the fourth.

Salve Regina tacked on another run in the bottom of the sixth on a RBI groundout by sophomore centerfielder Ryan Kelly (Waldwick, N.J.) before Brandeis cut into its 7-0 deficit with a RBI groundout of their own off the bat of sophomore catcher Connor Doyle (Avon, Conn.) that brought home sophomore Sam Miller (Sudbury, Mass.) in the top of the seventh. Salve Regina's Hunter Sleeper (Arlington, Mass.) would get the run right back in the bottom half of the seventh with a RBI single to right.

Brandeis scored singular runs in the top of the eighth and ninth innings but was unable to get consistent offensive production off the Seahawks bullpen. In the top of the eighth, Judges junior right fielder Cameron Shaw (East Setauket, N.Y.) roped a line drive homerun to left and in the ninth, sophomore third baseman Greg Heineman (Wilbraham, Mass.) hit a single up the middle to plate freshman Ryan Tettemer (Westfield, Mass.) from second base.

Brandeis starter Brian Ing (Sandwich, Mass.) suffered the loss, falling to 2-2 on the season. The Judges will visit NESCAC opponent Trinity (Conn.) on Sunday, April 27, for two games starting at 12 p.m.