Salve Regina runs streak to seven games with sweep of Wentworth

BROCKTON, Mass. – Freshman Colton Eremian (Boca Raton, Fla.) went 4-for-6 with a home run, four runs scored, and three RBI as the Salve Regina baseball team ran its win streak to seven with a Commonwealth Coast Conference doubleheader sweep over Wentworth at Campanelli Stadium on Sunday. The Seahawks held on in the first game, 5-4, and took the nightcap, 12-7.

With the wins, Salve Regina improves to 13-8-1 overall and 5-1 in league play while the Leopards fall to 8-16-0 (2-6).

Game One:  Salve Regina 5, Wentworth 4
In the opener, Salve Regina plated a pair of runs in the top of the first inning when sophomore Alex Perry (North Attleboro, Mass.) had an RBI groundout and freshman Zack Smith (New Canaan, Conn.) had a sacrifice fly. Wentworth got a run back in the home half of the inning when, with the bases loaded, senior Johnny Ryan (Brandt Rock, Mass.) grounded out to score junior Christian Ferri (Bloomfield, N.J.) who had led off the inning with a walk.

The Seahawks upped their lead to 4-1 in the second inning when sophomore Christian Vargas' (Melbourne, Fla.) bunt single scored Eremian. In the bottom of the fourth, the Leopards made it a two-run game thanks to a sacrifice fly off the bat of junior Jimmy Temte (Northborough, Mass.), which scored classmate Jordan Burst (Jackson, N.J.).

Salve Regina added an additional run in the sixth inning on a sacrifice fly from freshman Brody Santilli (Lincoln, R.I.).

In the bottom of the seventh, Wentworth loaded the bases with no one out. Freshman Dan Cole (Kingston, Mass.) was it by a pitch to open the inning and went to second when freshman Matt Smith (Horseheads, N.Y.) singled. Both moved up 90 feet when Ferri walked. Sophomore Tim Elrick (Buzzards Bay, Mass.) grounded out to score Cole, and, after sophomore Tyler Weninger (Chandler, Ariz.) walked, Burst singled to plate Smith and make it a 5-4 game. After a strikeout, a wild pitch would move attempt to score the tying run, however Ferri was thrown out to end the game.

Sophomore Tommy Seaver (Rocky Hill, Conn.) picked up the win (2-2) as he allowed two runs on one hit in four innings of work. Junior Sean Healy (Wakefield, R.I.) notched his second save of the season. Five different players recorded hits for the Seahawks.

Senior Zack Bernier (North Dartmouth, Mass.) was tagged with the loss (0-3) as he allowed three runs (two earned) in 1.1 innings of work. Senior Corey Jerolmon (New Milford, Conn.) pitched 5.2 innings of relief allowing a pair of runs on four hits and striking out one. Burst was 2-for-2 with a pair of walks.

Game Two:  Salve Regina 12, Wentworth 7
Salve Regina scored three times in the top of the first on a two-run double from freshman Tristan Dacey (Wyckoff, N.J.) and an Eremian RBI single. Wentworth got a run back in the bottom of the inning when Temte drew a bases-loaded walk and made it a 3-2 game in the third when Elrick scored on a wild pitch.

The Seahawks used an eight-run fourth to take an 11-2 lead. Smith had a two-run single to highlight the inning while Eremian hit a home run and freshman John Kussmaul (Brick, N.J.) had a two-run triple.

Temte delivered a two-run double and sophomore Bryon Kucharski (East Haven, Conn.) had an RBI single to bring the Black & Gold to 11-5 after five innings of play. Kussmaul had an RBI single in the top of the sixth to make it 12-5. In the home half of the inning, Weninger and Burst each had RBI singles to make it 12-7, however Wentworth would get no closer and would leave the bases loaded in the seventh to end the game.

Eremian was 3-for-3 with three runs scored and two RBI, Smith was 3-for-5 with two RBI, and Kussmaul drove in three runs. Junior Frank Lemieux (Marshfield, Mass.) earned the win (3-0) allowing five runs on seven hits and striking out four in five innings of work.

Elrick was 4-for-5 while Kucharski was 2-for-4. Freshman Mike Callagee (Emerson, N.J.) fell to 1-2 as he allowed nine runs on nine hits in 3.2 innings of work. Freshman Ben Rexford pitched 3.1 solid innings of relief, allowing an unearned run while scattering seven hits and striking out three.

Wentworth is idle until Friday when the Leopards are at Gordon. Salve Regina returns to action tomorrow at Eastern Nazarene.