Grover, O'Rourke go yard to salvage split for Salve Regina

NORTON, Mass. (Sunday, April 21, 2024) - Salve Regina University's Brandon Grover (Ashland, Mass.) and Evan O'Rourke (Arlington, Mass.) launched back-to-back home runs to start game two of a NEWMAC baseball doubleheader at Wheaton College and the Seahawks (24-5, 10-2 NEWMAC) salvaged a split of the twinbill by winning the nightcap, 7-0, after the Lyons (15-8, 9-3 NEWMAC) had won the opener, 3-0, at Sidell Stadium.

Sophomore righty Joe DeRienzo (Trumbull, Conn.) improved to 4-0 on the season with five shutout innings. Jason Arrigo (Basking Ridge, N.J.) struck out four in three scoreless innings and Tommy DelVecchio (Westfield, N.J.) faced four batters to get the final three outs in a non-save situation. In game one, Wheaton junior right-hander Ryan McCarroll (Clifton Park, N.Y.) hurled seven and two-thirds innings of four-hit shutout ball to lead the hosts.

INSIDE THE MATCHUPS
Finals: [1] Wheaton 3, Salve Regina 0; [2] Salve Regina 7, Wheaton 0
Records: Salve Regina (24-5, 10-2 NEWMAC), Wheaton (15-8, 9-3 NEWMAC)
All-Time Series: The teams are all even at seven wins apiece in a series that began in 1998. Today was the first NEWMAC meetings ever and the third time the Seahawks and Lyons played a doubleheader. Salve Regina has the longest win streak (five games) in the series from April 2002 to April 2019. Today was also the first time either team shutout the other - and they both did!

SUMMARY - GAME 1

• B3 - Shawn Cali opened with a single to shortstop, advanced on a bunt out up the first base line, reached third on a wild pitch, and came home on an RBI ground out. | Lyons 1, Seahawks 0
• B4 - Cali's double to center field scored Casey Wensley. | Lyons 2, Seahawks 0
• B7 - Wensley led off with a single to center and Cali was hit by a pitch. Sean Mulligan struck out the next two Lyons before AJ Guindon singled up the middle. | Lyons 3, Seahawks 0

NOTEWORTHY

• Brandon Grover paced the Seahawks' offense, going 2-3 with a walk and a stolen base.
• Hunter Yaworski was 1-4 with a double.
• Wheaton pitching held Salve Regina to just five hits on the day and did not allow a runner past second base.
• Sean Mulligan suffered the loss to fall to 6-2 after giving up three runs on seven hits and two walks to go with nine strikeouts in seven innings.
• Seahawks shutout for the first time all season and the first time since the Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) championship game against Endicott College, 1-0, on May 13, 2023. Prior to that, it was a 1-0 loss to Mount Union on March 13, 2022, in Auburndale, Florida.

SUMMARY - GAME 2

• T2 - Brandon Grover and Evan O'Rourke launched back-to-back home runs leading off the top of the first. | Seahawks 2, Lyons 0
• T7 - A walk to Brady Smolinski started a five-run inning for the Seahawks. Michael Breen followed with a single to right field and Brandon Grover loaded the bases with a bunt single. Evan O'Rourke drove in his second run of the game with a single through the left side to chase the Lyons starting pitcher. Hunter Yaworski greeted the new reliever with an RBI infield single. Christian Homa's single down the left field line plated two more Seahawks - Tyler Petrosino and Grover. After Yaworski reached third on a fielder's choice grounder, Tyler Cannoe brought him home with a sacrifice fly to center. | Seahawks 7, Lyons 0

NOTEWORTHY

• The game one loss marked the 50th time the Seahawks had been shutout in baseball. The game two win marked the 100th shutout for the Seahawks on the diamond, and fourth this season.
• With one shutout per year from 2018 through 2021, the Seahawks picked up the pace in 2022 (six) and 2023 (six).
• Seahawks have shutout Anna Maria and Gordon the most, nine times each.
• Brandon Grover now leads the Seahawks with five home runs on the year.
• Second time this season Grover has led off a game with a home run - did so against Wisconsin Oshkosh in a 21-10 Seahawk victory.
• Evan O'Rourke hits his third homer of the season and first since March 9.

NEXT UP
Salve Regina has three straight at home against non-league opponents with Johnson & Wales (Tuesday), Worcester State (Wednesday), and Anna Maria (Thursday) visiting Newport this week.