Baseball Falls to Salve Regina, 11-4, in Season Finale

NEWPORT, R.I. -- Freshman Alex Perry (North Attleboro, Mass.) drove in four runs, on three hits including a three-run home run as the Salve Regina University baseball team defeated Bridgewater State University, 11-4, at Reynolds Field.

The win was the first for the Seahawks over the Bears in program history. 

Salve Regina jumped on top early with four runs in the bottom of the first inning. 

After the leadoff man Ryan Kelly (Waldwick, N.J.) was hit by a pitch, Alek Kucich (Old Brookville, N.Y.) drew a walk, setting up Perry for one of his four RBI on the day.

Perry doubled down the left-field line bringing Kelly home and Kucich to third. 

Bears' starting pitcher Adam Mullen (Fairhaven, Mass.) walked Joe Haley (North Kingstown, R.I.) to load the bases and then hit David Neil (Randolph, Mass.) scoring Kucich. After Shane Surette (Haverhill, Mass.) relieved Mullen, consecutive groundouts from Daniel Donohue (Westbury, N.Y.) and Christian Vargas (Melbourne, Fla.) scored two more runs for a 4-0 lead through one inning.

The scoring picked up again in the bottom of the third for Salve Regina. Perry led off with a single then advanced to third after two passed balls. After Haley was walked again Neil singled to center field scoring Perry.

Brian Wiksten (Middleboro, Mass.) came in for Surette and hit the first batter he faced to force in another run. Wiksten was able to get John Militano (Miller Place, N.Y.) to fly out to deep center, but Neil tagged up and easily jogged home from third.

Leading 7-0, the Seahawks seemed ready to cruise to their ninth straight victory but the Bears rallied in the fourth to cut into the Salve Regina lead. 

Frank Lemieux (Marshfield, Mass.), who had come on in relief of starter Josh Monson (Bridgewater, Mass.) in the third, started the fourth by loading the bases with a hit batsman and two walks.  Lemieux then walked Colin Ryan (Quincy, Mass.) to force in the Bears' first run of the game before allowing another runner to score, committing an error on an attempted force-out at home. Sean Brooks (Braintree, Mass.) hit a ball that hopped right to Lemieux, but his throw to Vargas was wild allowing Zack Ricciardi (Hanover, Mass.) to score on what should have been an easy out. 

With bases still loaded and no one out Jonathan Lynch (Cumberland, R.I.) relieved Lemieux. Lynch was able to register two outs, but gave up two more runs in the process on an RBI ground out by Jacob Souza (Acushnet, Mass.) and an infield error. Billy Humes (East Rockaway, N.Y.) became the third Seahawks' pitcher of the inning and he got pinch hitter Billy Mitchell (Walpole, Mass.) to strike out looking to end the frame.

The Seahawks nudged the lead back to four runs when Neil took the first pitch of the bottom of fifth inning deep for a solo homer and an 8-4 lead.

Perry reestablished the seven run lead for the Seahawks in the bottom of the sixth with his tenth homerun of the season. This time taking an 0-1 pitch deep to right for a three run shot and the 11-4 lead.

The Seahawks used seven different pitchers on the afternoon with Monson collecting his second win to improve to 2-0.

The Bears used four pitchers with Mullen charged with the loss, giving up the four earned runs without registering an out in the first inning. Mullen's record now falls to 2-2.

Bridgewater finished with just four hits in the game but were issued nine walks. The Bears left 11 runners on base.

The Seahawks improve to 21-14 overall and will finish regular season on April 28 on the road when they take on Suffolk at 4 p.m.

Bridgewater State wraps up the season with an overall record of 8-21.