Seahawks sweep Wildcats home and away

PROVIDENCE, R.I. – The Salve Regina University baseball squad swept a non-conference doubleheader with intra-state rival Johnson & Wales University at the Scotts Miracle-Gro Athletics Complex on Thursday afternoon. Salve Regina posted an 8-2 win in the opener and completed the sweep with a 7-2 victory in the nightcap.

In the opener, Johnson & Wales, playing as the visitors in game one, took the 1-0 advantage in the top of the third on an RBI single by junior Kory Ferullo (Rochester, N.H.). Salve Regina responded in the bottom of the inning and broke the game open with seven runs, including a two-run double by senior Tyler Colby (Easton, Conn.) for the 7-1 lead.

Salve Regina added an unearned run in the bottom of the fourth for the 8-1 advantage. In the top of the seventh, JWU loaded the bases and cut the lead to 8-2 when sophomore Mark Kerwin (Smithfield, R.I.) was hit with the bases loaded to score freshman Lou Umberto (Cranston, R.I.).

That would be all the scoring, however as the Seahawks held on for the 8-2.  Freshman Cory Poplawski (Syracuse, N.Y.) notched the win in relief for Salve Regina, throwing two scoreless innings with two hits and two strikeouts. Senior Alex Pezzuto (Hastings, N.Y.) went 3-for-4 for JWU in the loss while junior Daniel Donohue (Westbury, N.Y.) was 2-for-3 with an RBI and run scored in the victory for Salve Regina.

The nightcap saw Salve Regina take the 1-0 lead in the top of the first on an RBI single by junior Sean Becker (Richmond, Va.) and extended the lead to 2-0 with an unearned run in the top of the second.  Johnson & Wales managed to get on the board in the bottom of the sixth when freshman Carlos Sanabria (Pawtucket, R.I.) scored on an RBI single from freshman Joe Walsh (Sayville, N.Y.), cutting the lead to 2-1.

The Wildcats knotted the game 2-2 in the bottom of the seventh after Ferullo drew a walk to lead off the inning. He later came around to score on a stolen base and an errant throw to send the game into extra innings.

A two-run single by senior Anthony Conte (Georgetown, Mass.) and a two-run single by junior Joe Haley (North Kingstown, R.I.) provided the heroics for Salve Regina as the Seahawks scored five runs in the top of the 10th en route to the 7-2 victory.

Senior Kevin Lambert (Fairfield, Conn.) picked up the win in relief for Salve Regina, allowing one unearned run on four hits with six strikeouts in four and a third innings of work. Walsh and senior Tyler Pacheco (East Hampstead, N.H.) each had two hits in the setback for JWU while Conte went 2-for-4 with a run scored and an RBI in the win for Salve Regina.

With the two losses the Wildcats are now 24-11 while Salve Regina improves to 19-11 on the year. The Wildcats will return to action on Friday when they travel to Saint Joseph's of Maine for a GNAC twin bill, starting at 3 p.m. The Seahawks break for Easter before returning to action on Monday at Eastern Nazarene.