Salve Regina tops #9 Rochester; four homeruns in two wins

CLERMONT, R.I. - Salve Regina University junior Nicole Parry (Quincy, Mass.) retired the final 11 batters she faced and finished with a three-hit shutout as the Seahawks defeated the nation's ninth-ranked team, the University of Rochester, 4-0, at Hancock Park in Clermont, Fla.

Salve Regina (2-0) had won its season-opener, 13-3, in just five innings two hours earlier against Becker College (0-1). The Seahawks were the "home" team against the Hawks, and then the "visiting" team against the Yellow Jackets (1-1).

Becker scored its three runs in the first two innings against Salve Regina starter Kelsey Boarman (North Dighton, Mass.) before the sophomore righty righted herself and pitched two-hit ball the final three innings. Boarman finished with five strikeouts in her season-opener.

The Seahawks collected 16 hits in their opener including multiple-hit performance from seven different batters. Sophomore shortstop Nikki Bukovsky (Westport, Conn.) led off the Seahawk lineup with a triple and later added a double. She added another double against Rochester and finished with three runs scored on the day.

Sophomore centerfielder Lexi Soucie (North Easton, Mass.) hit the first round-tripper of the season for the Seahawks, just as she had as a freshman last year in Florida, this one a two-run shot in the second inning.

Leading 5-3 entering the bottom of the fourth frame, Salve Regina exploded for eight runs on nine hits, including a two-run homer for sophomore Lauren Fountain (Cheshire, Conn.).

Against the Yellow Jackets, Salve Regina had a single in each of the first two innings, junior catcher Genevieve Benoit (Swampscott, Mass.) and Soucie, but no advancement beyond second base. Rochester put two runners on base with two out in the second inning before Parry got her pitching counterpart, Eleni Wechsler (Warwick, N.Y.), to pop out to second baseman, Francesca Galeazzi (Lynn, Mass.).

Bukovsky led off the top of the third with an opposite-field double, moved to third on a bunt single by junior Melissa Figueiredo (East Bridgewater, Mass.), and both scored on a three-run homer from sophomore third baseman Kara O'Riley (Acton, Mass.). Benoit added her first homerun of the season in the seventh inning.

Benoit, O'Riley, and Soucie collected four hits apiece in the two wins.

Salve Regina plays a 9 and 11 a.m. Sunday first as the home team against WPI and then as the away team against Rhode Island College. Follow the games on salveathletics.com/sports/sball/2014-15/schedule.