Breen's grand slam begins back-to-back-to-back as Seahawks win a pair

AUBURNDALE, Fla. (Saturday, March 9, 2024) - Salve Regina University senior infielder Michael Breen (Auburn, Mass.) highlighted a 10-run ninth inning with a grand slam as the Seahawks won the first of two games at Lake Myrtle Sports Complex on Saturday, 13-3, against Ohio Northern University, before mounting a four-run rally in the ninth of their 6-5 win against University of Mount Union in the nightcap.

Against the Polar Bears (2-2), the Seahawks staked starter Joe DeRienzo (Trumbull, Conn.) to a 2-0 lead with a pair of unearned runs in the second and third innings. Wil McCarthy (Pembroke, Mass.) and Matt D'Amato (Midland Park, N.J.) each drove in a run. Ohio Northern took the lead with three runs in the fifth. A bases-loaded walk to Evan O'Rourke (Arlington, Mass.) tied the score at 3-3 in the Seahawk seventh.

Tyler Cannoe's (Schenectady, N.Y.) two-run double to right center in the top of the ninth broke the tie. He later scored on a wild pitch. McCarthy had an RBI double and then he was on board with Tyler Petrosino (Beverly, Mass.) and Nate Ruehs (Plymouth, Mass.) for Breen's sacks-full dinger. Shea Donovan (Milton, Mass.) followed with a home run to left field and Evan O'Rourke completed the back-to-back-to-back blasts with his shot to center field. Jason Arrigo (Basking Ridge, N.J.) earned the win with three innings of scoreless relief.

Trailing 5-2 against the Raiders (8-4) in the ninth, Christian Homa (Fairfield, Conn.) led off with a double off the fence in right center. D'Amato went opposite field with his RBI double and then came home on Brandon Grover's (Ashland, Mass.) single through the right side. Three straight hit-by-pitches tied the score, the last giving Shea Donovan an RBI. O'Rourke drove in the go-ahead run with his single to right field.

Kyle Carozza (Fairfield, Conn.) struck out three in the bottom of the ninth while stranding the bases loaded for his third save of the season for the Seahawks (7-1).

INSIDE THE MATCHUPS
Finals: [1] Salve Regina 13, Ohio Northern 3; [2] Salve Regina 6, Mount Union 5
Records: Salve Regina (7-1), Ohio Northern (2-2), Mount Union (8-4)
All-Time History: Seahawks even the mark with the Polar Bears at 1-1; after falling 1-0 to the Raiders in 2022, Seahawks have won two straight and improve to 4-2 in the all-time series.

NEXT UP
Salve Regina (7-1) plays against Wisconsin Oshkosh at 3:45 p.m. on Sunday, March 10.