Seahawks take 7-1 triumph over Vikings in tune-up for NCAAs

SALEM, Mass. (Wednesday, May 19, 2021) - Salve Regina University baseball scored a 7-1 victory against Salem State University keyed by a four-run third inning and a three-RBI afternoon for graduate student and catcher Dylan Ketch (Clinton, Conn.). Both teams employed seven pitchers in the nine-inning contest as Finn Doherty (Milton, Mass.) earned his first collegiate win (1-1) for the Seahawks while Viking starter Jimmy Burton (Rutland, Mass.) was saddled with the loss.
Salve Regina (13-4-1) twice scored runs on failed pickoff attempts by Salem State pitchers as only two runs were earned against the Vikings (13-9).
Series History
Seahawks improve to 5-3 in the all-time series with the Vikings and have won the last three meetings. Today was the first meeting since 2017 (an 8-3 win for Salve Regina) and the third time they have played in Salem, Mass. The first two encounters in the series were back-to-back years in St. Petersburg, Fla., during spring break trips in 1995 and 1996.
Three Stars of the Game
- Seahawk catcher Dylan Ketch (Clinton, Conn.) had a 2-for-4 day at the plate with a double and drove in three runs.
- Seahawk starter Brayden Clark (Beverly, Mass.) spun four innings on the mound allowing just one hit while striking out four Vikings.
- Seahawk outfielder Matt D'Amato (Midland Park, N.J.) collected two hits including a double in the top of the order; he also drove in a run and scored one.
Key(s) to the Game
A bases loaded single by Dylan Ketch in the top of the third scored Dustin Siqueira (Trumbull, Conn.), Matt D'Amato, and Jared Beniers (Abington, Mass.) for a 4-0 cushion. Leading 7-0 in the bottom of the sixth, Chris Beach Jr. (East Orleans, Mass.) stranded Vikings at second and third after Ketch retrieved a wild pitch at the backstop to tag out a would-be basestealer at the plate.
Quick Hits
- Tyler Cannoe (Schenectady, N.Y.) hit a two-out double in the fifth.
- Zach Barlok (Cheshire, Conn.) tripled with one out in the sixth and came home on D'Amato's double.
- Ryan O'Donnell (Saunderstown, R.I.) struck out two of the four batters he faced to finish the game in the ninth.
- All seven Seahawk hurlers allowed Vikings to reach base.
Next Up
Salve Regina plays a doubleheader in New London, Conn., against Mitchell College, another NCAA-bound team, on Thursday afternoon. The 2021 DIII baseball selection show is 10 p.m. ET on Sunday, May 23. The show will stream live on NCAA.com.