Becker's walks lead to walk-off and Seahawk sweep

FORT MYERS, Fla. - Trailing 5-0 in their last at bat of Game 1, the Seahawks of Salve Regina University rallied for six runs and the win as junior infielder Sean Becker (Richmond, Va.) earned his four base on balls in the contest for the game-winning RBI. Salve Regina (2-0) swept the season-opening doubleheader with the Mariners of Mitchell College (0-2) by scores of 6-5 and 10-5. Both games went seven innings at Terry Park.

The Mariners scored two unearned runs in the first inning off Seahawk starter Kyle Pheland (No. Scituate, R.I.). Mitchell later added single runs in the third, sixth, and seventh frames for its 5-0 advantage.

Mitchell starter Mike Tandy no-hit the Seahawks through five and two-third innings until Salve Regina senior catcher Dominic Di Sano (Central Falls, R.I.) reached him for a two-out double in the bottom of the sixth.

Tim Harris (Southbury, Conn.) led off the Seahawk seventh as a pinch-hitter and reached base with a single. Becker following with his third base on balls off Tandy who was relieved by Dominic Walmsley. Walmsley faced just one batter, sophomore Ryan Kelly (Waldwick, N.J.), and loaded the bases with a hit by pitch.

Freshman Alek Kucich (Old Brookville, N.Y.) greeted reliever Johnny Cabrera with an RBI single. Senior outfielder Tyler Colby (Easton, Conn.) followed with another RBI single. With the bases still loaded, shortstop Daniel Donohue (Westbury, N.Y.) made the score 5-3 when he was hit by a Cabrera pitch.

Cabrera struck out Di Sano for the first out of the frame, but junior infielder Joe Haley (North Kingstown, R.I.) came through with a game-tying two-run single. An intentional walk to Ryan Sweenor (South Kingstown, R.I.) loaded the bases for Harris. His chance to finish the rally he started ended with a strikeout.

Becker earned his fourth base on balls that delivered the game-winning run, making a winner out of reliever John McDermott (Bedford Hills, N.Y.).

The Seahawks put four runs on the board in the second inning of Game 2 against the Mariners. Haley and senior Nicholas Dell'Anno (Reading, Mass.) both singled to start the frame. Hunter Sleeper (Arlington, Mass.), Anthony Conte (Georgetown, Mass.), Kelly, and Donohue drove in runs in the second for a 4-0 Salve Regina lead.

Starting hurler Cole Tretter (East Lyme, Conn) pitched into the fifth inning allowing two runs, but also issuing six walks. Kevin Lambert (Fairfield, Conn.) relieved the freshman starter after the first two Mariners reached base in the fifth.

An RBI double from Di Sano in the Seahawk sixth upped the lead to 6-3. Salve Regina tacked on four more runs in the top of the seventh which included a two-run single by Colby.

Salve Regina faces Coast Guard in a twinbill on Sunday starting at 10 a.m.