Baseball drops a pair to Golden Bears

NEWPORT, R.I. – The Western New England University baseball team swept a Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) doubleheader versus Salve Regina University by the scores 12-4 and 10-0 at Reynolds Field on Monday evening. The a pair of losses brings the Seahawks record to 6-10 overall and 1-3 in the conference, while the Golden Bears improve to 7-6 on the season and 2-0 in CCC play.

Sophomore Daniel Donohue (Westbury, N.Y.) led the Seahawks offensively, going 4-for-8 on the evening with a run scored and a pair of RBIs. Sophomores Anthony Conte (Georgetown, Mass.) and Dominic Di Sano (Central Falls, R.I.) each finished 1-for-3 with a run scored, while junior Nicholas Gaj (Pawtucket, R.I.) tossed four innings of relief without surrendering an earned run.

Sophomore Steve Ambrosino (Laurel Hollow, N.Y.) paved the way for the Golden Bears, going 4-for-6 with three runs scored and a pair of RBIs, while sophomore Jeff Schult (Wappingers Falls, N.Y.) finished 4-for-8 while scoring three runs and driving in three more. Senior Mike Taylor (Andover, Mass.) also had a fine day at the plate, going 3-for-7 while leading all players with five runs batted in.  Junior Jeff Richardson (Simsbury, Conn.) earned the win on the mound in game one, surrendering just two runs over five innings of work, while freshman Trevor Breton (Enfield, Conn.) tossed a two-hit shutout in the nightcap to improve to 2-1 on the season.

In game one, Salve Regina struck first with a single run in the second inning. After back-to-back singles from freshman Mark Boland (Orange, Conn.) and Conte got things started, Donohue delivered a clutch two-out RBI single to center scoring Boland to give the Seahawks an early 1-0 lead.

The Golden Bears responded in the top of the fourth, exploding for seven runs on seven hits. Junior Matt Anthonis (Guilford, Conn.) claimed the lead for Western New England with a two-run single, and was followed by consecutive RBI doubles from junior Taylor Perun (Plainville, Conn.) and Taylor. Following a groundout, which plated another run, Schult and Ambrosino both delivered RBI singles to cap the seven run rally.

After the Golden Bears stretch their lead to 9-1 with a pair of runs in the top of the fifth, the Seahawks answered with a run in the bottom half of the inning when Gaj brought home Di Sano with a sacrifice fly to center.

Western New England put up two more runs in the sixth, as Taylor plated a pair of teammates with a ground ball single through the right side to give WNE an 11-2 advantage.

Conte got things going for the Seahawks in the bottom of the sixth with a leadoff walk, and promptly stole second to move into scoring position. Donohue followed with his second run scoring single of the game and eventually came around on a sacrifice fly from Di Sano to cut the WNE lead down to 11-4.

After adding an insurance run in the top of the seventh, the Golden Bears retired the Seahawks quietly in the bottom half of the frame to cap the 12-4 victory.

Western New England took control of game two early, scoring eight runs over the first three innings. Taylor started things with a two-run single in the first, scoring Anthonis and Ambrosino. In the second, Perun highlighted a four-run rally with a bases-clearing three-run double. The Golden Bears added two more runs in the third, receiving an RBI single from junior Tim Clark (West Springfield, Mass.) and a fielder's choice RBI from junior Mike Rubino (Northford, Conn.).

Those eight runs were more than enough for Breton who sparkled over seven strong innings, allowing just two hits while striking out four.

The Golden Bears added a pair of insurance runs in the sixth, before Breton retired the Seahawks in order in the seventh to complete the 10-0 shutout.

The Golden Bears will take to the field again on Wednesday when they travel to face Springfield at 3:30 p.m., while the Seahawks will hit the road to face MIT on Tuesday at 3:30 p.m.