NEWPORT, R.I. — The No. 15 Salve Regina University baseball team rallied from three runs down with five runs in their final three innings to come away with a 6-4 victory over visiting Wheaton College (Mass.) this afternoon in the second game of a New England Women's & Men's Athletic Conference doubleheader at Brother Reynolds Field in Newport, R.I.
The Lyons dip to 16-14 overall and 8-4 in NEWMAC play, while the Seahawks, who are ranked in the most recent D3baseball.com/National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association national poll, have won six in a row and improve to 21-7 and 9-3.
For the second straight game, Salve Regina collected 13 hits and all nine of its hitters recorded at least one knock in the game. The Seahawks got on the board first with a run in the second, before Wheaton rallied for four runs in the top of the fifth to take a 4-1 lead. Salve Regina pulled even with a three-run sixth and tacked on single runs in the seventh and eighth to come away with the victory.
Sophomore center fielder Robbie Lamond (North Kingstown, R.I.) was 1-4 with a home run and two runs batted in for Wheaton. Junior shortstop Ray Toth (Granby, Mass.) and sophomore right fielder Shawn Cali (East Taunton, Mass.) were each 1-4 with a homer for the Lyons. Senior reliever Liam Goldthwaite (Braintree, Mass.) was saddled with the loss and drops to 1-3 after allowing two runs on four hits to go with a strikeout in an inning and a third of work.
The Seahawks were led by graduate student first baseman Tyler Petrosino (Beverly, Mass.) with a 3-3 day that included a home run, two RBI and a pair of runs scored and a walk. Senior second baseman Christian Homa (Fairfield, Conn.) was 3-4 with a homer, while first year shortstop Grady Schopps (Fairfield, Conn.) was 1-3 with a run batted in. Junior relief pitcher Joe DeRienzo (Trumbull, Conn.) hurled two and two-thirds of no-hit ball and fanned three batters to earn the win and improve to 2-1, while senior closer Andrew Wertz (Dover, N.H.) earned his seventh save after tossing two frames and allowing just a walk, no hits and a strikeout.
Wheaton relied on its power for all of its runs in the fifth inning and the game with three homers in a span of four batters. Toth launched a one-out blast over the fence to get the Lyons on the board. First year second baseman Logan Downey (Warwick, R.I.) drew a walk, before Lamond also crushed a pitch over the fence for a two-run shot to give Wheaton a three-run margin. Cali followed with a home run of his own to give the Lyons back-to-back jacks and a three-run lead.
Salve Regina got three of the runs back in the bottom of the sixth to knot the score at 4-4. Graduate student Hunter Yaworski (Brooklyn, Conn.) clubbed a lead-off double to the left-center gap, before junior Shane Williams (Georgetown, Mass.) served a one-out RBI single to center to bring Yaworski around to score. Junior Shea Donovan (Milton, Mass.) was hit by a pitch and both runners moved into scoring position on a wild pitch. Petrosino took advantage of the wild pitch with a single through the right side to plate Williams to make it a one-run game, while Donovan went to third on the play. Schopps followed with a sacrifice fly to center to send Donovan scampering home with the tying run.
The Seahawks also used the long ball to power its comeback, getting a home run from Homa to lead off the bottom of the seventh and give the home team a 5-4 edge. Petrosino also cranked a pitch beyond the fence for an insurance run to give Salve Regina a 6-4 margin in the bottom of the eighth.
While the Seahawks bats were making noise, Wheaton's lumber was silenced by DeRienzo and Wertz following the homer from Cali. The pair allowed just two base runners on an error and a walk in the final four and two-thirds innings of the game, while retiring 10 straight batters after the round tripper.
Salve Regina's first run of the game came in the bottom of the second with two outs. Petrosino drew a walk and Schopps reached on an infield single. Grover followed with a single to left center to bring home Petrosino with the initial run of the ballgame.
The Lyons return to action on Tuesday, April 22 when they host Babson College in NEWMAC action at Sidell Stadium for a 3:30 p.m. first pitch, while the Seahawks host Roger Williams University on April 23 at 3:30 p.m.
