Baseball Closes Regular Season with Loss at Salve Regina
Newport, R.I. The Framingham State University baseball team wrapped up its regular season with a 14-5 loss at Salve Regina University on Monday afternoon. The win pushes the Seahawks to 28-10 on the season while the Rams fall to 16-21 with the loss.
The Seahawks scored early and often after jumping out to a 1-0 lead in the first off an RBI-single sophomore Joe Haley (North Kingston, R.I.) to score junior Tyler Colby (Easton, Conn.). Salve Regina scored at least a run in all but two innings and not once did the Seahawks go down in order.
Senior Justin Forman (Watertown, Mass.) tied the game for the Rams in the third with a two-out single to right field. Running with the pitch was sophomore Cameron Couillard (North Andover. Mass.) who scored easily to tie the game at 1-1.
Salve Regina answered in the home half of the frame to regain the lead, 3-1. After a walk and a hit batter kicked off the inning for the Seahawks, sophomore Sean Becker (Richmond, Va.) reached first safely on a fielder's choice to load the bases. Haley singled through the right side to bring home Becker and freshman Ryan Kelly (Waldwick, N.J.).
After the two teams traded a run in the fourth to keep Salve Regina out front, 4-2, the Rams tied the game with two runs in the top of the fifth on an RBI-double from freshman Jake Wardwell (Hudson, Mass.) and ground out off the bat of senior Will Crofton (Hopkinton, Mass.).
The Seahawks answered with a run of their own in the bottom of the frame to take the lead back time for good, 5-4.
After a 1-2-3 sixth inning for relief pitcher freshman Alex Croce (Rumford Hills, N.Y.), the Seahawks exploded for six runs to break the game open. Salve Regina scored all of its runs in the inning on just one hit and three costly Ram errors. With runners on first and second, freshman Matt Marchica (Westminster, Vt.) scored the Seahawks first run of the game after successfully stealing third and coming around on an errant throw to third. With junior Nicholas Dell'Anno (Reading, Mass.) now on third and freshman Rich Cianci (Chester, N.J.) on first after getting hit, Kelly flew out to center to bring home Dell'Anno. With Becker batting, Cianci stole second and advanced to third on a wild pitch before Becker eventually walked to put runners on the corners. Cianci came around to score on the second wild pitch of the inning before Becker scored on the third error of the inning to allow Haley to reach first safely. Junior Dominic Di Sano (Central Falls, R.I.) took a pitch deep over the left field fence for the Seahawks' first hit off the inning, a two-run homer to score Haley and give Salve Regina an 11-4 lead after six innings.
With one out and the bases loaded in the top of the seventh, the Rams began to make some noise but relief pitcher sophomore Gabe Cretella (Seymour, Conn.) got Crofton to ground into a routine 6-4-3 double play and end the scoring threat.
Salve Regina tacked on three more in the bottom of the inning to push its lead to 14-4. Pinch hitter junior Stephen Crawford (Barrington, R.I.) doubled home sophomore Mark Boland (Orange, Conn.) before junior Anthony Conte (Georgetown, Mass.) came out to run for him. Kelly followed with a hit to put the game out of reach.
Framingham freshman Austin Teal (Malden, Mass.) hit his first home run of the season to cut the lead to 14-5 but freshman John McDermott (Bedford Hills, N.Y.) got junior Ivan Colon (Waltham, Mass.) to pop up to first and end the inning.
Waldwell hit a one-out single in the top of the ninth but was left on the bases as the Seahawks came away with the regular season finale win.
Freshman Branden Hoxsie (Warwick, R.I.) came away with the win on the mound for Salve Regina after pitching just one inning.
Senior Chris DiCecca (Winchester, Mass.) suffered the loss for Framingham State, throwing five innings and allowing eight runs, five earned, on eight hits with two walks. DiCecce threw two wild pitches and hit two Seahawks.
Haley led the Seahawks at the plate, going 3-for-5 with four RBI while Becker scored three times and Kelly twice. Wardwell and sophomore Mark Mainini (Hull, Mass.) each had a pair of hits for the Rams.
Salve Regina returns to the diamond when they kick off the 2013 Commonwealth Coast Conference championship tournament hosting #4 Roger Williams at Reynolds Field on May 2. The Rams await the outcome of the first round of the Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference Tournament on Thursday to learn who they will face in the second round at home on Friday afternoon.
Release courtesy of SRU Sports Information.