Blankmeyer's walk-off HR salvages split for Seahawks

NEWPORT, R.I. - Two outs away from suffering its fourth straight Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) defeat at home on Reynolds Field, Salve Regina University baseball got rescued by a walk-off, two-run home run from sophomore Cory Blankmeyer (Centerport, N.Y.) to win, 6-5, over Wentworth Institute of Technology in second game of doubleheader.

The Leopards (10-8, 3-3 CCC) won the opener in nine innings, 9-5, after a game-tying triple with two outs in the seventh on a 2-2 pitch to catcher Jake Mailman (Medway, Mass.) and later scoring four times in the ninth. The Seahawks (12-10, 4-5 CCC), who allowed an unearned, go-ahead run in the top of the seventh in game two before Blankmeyer's dramatics, end a three-game losing skid.

Salve Regina freshman Kyle Lefelar (Potomac, Md.) pitched 4.1 innings of three-hit ball, allowing just the one unearned run, to record his first collegiate victory in the nightcap.

Wentworth senior Dakota Baird (Bermuda Dunes, Calif.) pitched the final three innings of relief in game one and allowed just two hits with no runs to pick up the victory in extra innings.

Freshman Alex Perry (No. Attleboro, Mass.) staked the Seahawks to a 2-0 with his league-leading fifth homer of the season in the bottom of the first in game one. Sam McManus (Hopkinton, N.H.) and Jimmy Temte (Northborough, Mass.) each drove in a run to tie the score in the next half inning.

Bottom of the third, after freshman outfielder John Militano (Miller Place, N.Y.) doubled to lead off the frame, Perry blasted another two-run shot to left center.

Trailing 4-2, Temte singled off new pitcher Sean Healy (Wakefield, R.I.) to open the fifth inning. After a strikeout moved the lineup to the top of the order, Christian Ferri (Bloomfield, N.J.) stroked a ground rule double under the fence in center field. Joe Hulme's (Tewksbury, Mass.) grounder to shortstop Daniel Donohue (Westbury, Mass.) produced a run before Mailman delivered his first game-tying basehit, a slow roller in the hole on the left side.

Perry put the Seahawks on top in the bottom of the fifth after his third hit of the game was followed by a Donohue single, and then a fielder's choice grounder to load the bases, the first-year slugger crossed the plate on a balk call.

Matt Wood (Walpole, Mass.), who came in relief in the seventh and kept it a tie game with a strikeout of Tyler Weninger (Chandler, Ariz.) to end the frame, got the first Leopard out in the ninth before issuing a walk to Ferri and then a go-ahead triple to Hulme. Right fielder Jordan Burst (Jackson, N.J.) executed a suicide squeeze for the seventh Leopard run and Wentworth tacked on two more in the second extra frame for a four-run lead.

Salve Regina built a 2-0 lead in the first inning of game two as well. Blankmeyer drove in the first with a hard single to left. Donohue executed a safety squeeze to score classmate Joe Haley (North Kingstown, R.I.).

The visitors loaded the bases with no outs in the third off Seahawk starter Frank Lemieux (Marshfield, Mass.). The righty struck out the next two Leopards before issuing two more walks around an infield single that put Wentworth ahead, 3-2. Lefelar came in relief to end the inning with a strike out.

Salve Regina tied the game in the fifth inning after a one-out double by Militano and a passed ball, Haley lifted a sacifice fly to center field.

Weninger had the go-ahead RBI in the Wentworth seventh inning, and starter Zack Bernier (No. Dartmouth, Mass.) was in line for the victory after pitching 6.0 innings and striking out seven Seahawks. Left-handed reliever Johnny Ryan (Brant Rock, Mass.) struck out Militano to start the bottom of the seventh, but then hit Haley on a 2-2 pitch. Blankmeyer swung at the first offering and drilled his first collegiate home run to left field.

Salve Regina plays at Western New England on Monday (2 p.m.) in another CCC twinbill while Wentworth travels to Gordon College to "host" the Scots.