DAVENPORT, Fla. – The offense exploded for the Roger Williams University Baseball team, plating 33 runs across a doubleheader sweep of Anna Maria College, winning 16-1 and 17-6 at the Russmatt Baseball Complex on Saturday evening. Senior infielder Tommy Hobin (Madison, Conn.) and junior leftfielder Christopher Flynn (Randolph, N.J.) led the charge as they each drove in six runs across the two contests.
With the wins, RWU improves to 4-0 on the season for the first time since 2014. Meanwhile, the Amcats conclude their Spring Break Trip at 4-5.
The 33 runs scored by the Hawks in a twin bill is the most since they plated 37 runs on April 25th, 2007 against the very same Anna Maria baseball program.
Flynn set a new career-high for RBI's with a trio in game one before matching that total in the second game as he combined to go 3-for-7 at the plate with a double and a walk. Meanwhile Hobin's half a dozen runs driven in were also evenly split across the two contests going 2-for-4 while he clubbed a double and a triple, in addition to drawing a pair of free passes.
On the mound, graduate student righthander Connor Hewlette (Deer Park, N.Y.) earned his second win of the season in game one for the Hawks, going 5.1 innings allowing one run on four hits, and a walk while striking out six. In the second contest, graduate student righthander Chris Flynn (Naugatuck, Conn.) recovered from a rocky first inning to go 4.0 innings allowing four runs, three of which were earned, on four hits, and a walk while fanning a career-high 11 batters, improving to 1-0 in the process.
For the Amcats, graduate student righthander Jack Marzec (Northbridge, Mass.) wound up on the losing end of game one, after getting shelled across 1.0+ innings as he surrendered 12 runs, all earned, on four hits, five walks, four hit batsmen, while also striking out two and fell to 1-1 in the process. In the second contest, graduate student righthander Fili Veras (Sleepy Hollow, N.Y.) took the loss to fall to 0-2 after tossing 3.1 innings allowing six runs, all earned, on five hits and two walks while striking out a pair.
Hawk Highlights
Game 1
Christopher Flynn: 2-for-3, SB, BB, 3 RBI, RS
Matt Massaro: 2-for-3, 2B, BB, RBI, 2 RS
Tommy Hobin: 1-for-2, 3B, BB, 3 RBI, 2 RS
Ben Bonavita: 1-for-3, 2B, 2 RBI, 2 RS
Connor Hewlette: (W, 2-0), 5.1 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 6 K
For The Opponents
Jason Shell: 1-for-3, RS
Elijah Spataj: 0-for-2, RBI
Nick Morley: 1-for-1, 2B
Hunter Dunithan: 0-for-2, SB, BB
Jack Marzec: (L, 1-1), 1.0+ IP, 4 H, 12 R, 12 ER, 5 BB, 2 K
How It Happened
Roger Williams was the designated home team for the first contest of the doubleheader and graduate student righthander, Connor Hewlette (Deer Park, N.Y.) got right to work retiring the side in order in the top of the first. The offense also wasted no time getting started in the home half as junior third baseman Matt Massaro (Fairfield, Conn.) kept a grounder fair down the third base line for a two-bagger. The Amcats walked graduate student first baseman Brandon Jenkins (East Bridgewater, Mass.) to set up senior designated hitter Ben Bonavita (East Longmeadow, Mass.). He worked himself into a good count and crushed a ball into the power alley in left center to plate Massaro. After the second out was recorded, senior second baseman Tommy Hobin (Madison, Conn.) split the gap in left center as well, chasing home a pair of runs as he legged out a triple. Hobin would come home on a wild pitch and the Hawks had a good early lead.
Anna Maria got their lone run of game one in the top of the second. The first two men singled before graduate student catcher Noah Holland (Sandwich, Mass.) dropped down a sacrifice bunt towards first. Jenkins charged and made a heads-up play and threw out the lead runner at third however a single followed to load the bases. Junior Elijah Spataj (Cheshire, Conn.) would bring home a run with a sacrifice fly to center but Hewlette picked up a K to escape further damage.
In the bottom of the second, RWU really broke the game open as Amcats' starter, Jack Marzec (Northbridge, Mass.) really lost his command in the inning. He allowed the first seven men to reach without the benefit of a hit as he walked three Hawks, plunked four others, and gave up four runs along the way. Junior leftfielder Christopher Flynn (Randolph, N.J.) kept it going as he ripped a single back through the box, scoring a pair, and in the process, he ended Marzec's outing before he recorded a single out in the second as senior righty Joe Gemelli (Grafton, Mass.) entered. He got two outs before graduate student centerfielder Tyler Cedeno (Maynard, Mass.) brought home a pair of runs with a double. Massaro drove in the ninth and final run of the frame for RWU with a single to extend the lead to 13-1.
The designated home squad got another one in the third. Sophomore shortstop Mike Masino (Bayville, N.J.) ripped a one-out single to right and after a strikeout, he advanced to second on an errand throw on a pickoff attempt. Flynn brought Masino to the plate with his second run-scoring single in as many innings and the lead was extended to a baker's dozen.
No runs would cross the plate for either side until the bottom of the sixth as RWU, leading by 13, got some reserves some plate appearances. They worked into a situation with two men in scoring position and two men out for Sam Weigel (Brookfield, Conn.). He stepped to the plate and in his first collegiate at-bat he drove the ball to the opposite-field for a ground-rule double plating a pair of runs to make the lead 16-1.
Junior reliever Nick Harper (Westwood, N.J.), who had entered for Hewlette with one out in the sixth, retired the side in the seventh to secure the win.
Game 2
Matt Massaro: 2-for-3, SB, 2 BB, 3 RBI, 2 RS
Tommy Hobin: 1-for-2, 2B, BB, 3 RBI, 1 RS
Alec Lavallee: 2-for-4, 2B, BB, 2 RBI, 2 RS
Christopher Flynn: 1-for-4, 2B, 3 RBI
Chris Flynn: (W, 1-0), 4.0 IP, 4 H, 4 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 11 K
For The Opponents
Noah Holland: 1-for-3, 2B, 2 RBI
Nick Morley: 2-for-3, 2B, RS
Kosta Drosidis: 2-for-4, RS
James Powers: 2-for-3, RS
Fili Veras: (L, 0-2), 3.1 IP, 5 H, 6 R, 6 ER, 2 BB, 2 K
How It Happened
Roger Williams was the designated road team in the second game of the twin bill and after the offense was quiet in the top of the first, they found themselves trailing early. Chris Flynn (Naugatuck, Conn.) started the second game and hit the first batter he faced. After picking up a strikeout and a single to left, he induced a pop up to left that the wind played some tricks on allowing it to fall for a hit and load the bases. Junior Elijah Spataj (Cheshire, Conn.) then rolled one over to third, junior third baseman Matt Massaro (Fairfield, Conn.) tried to get the runner at second, but freshman second baseman Owen Hibbard (Roxbury, Conn.) could not secure the catch allowing two runs to score on the play. After a free pass re-filled the bags, graduate student catcher Noah Holland (Sandwich, Mass.) popped a double to right against the swung around outfield, chasing home two more runs and giving the Amcats a 4-0 advantage.
The Hawks battled back in the second as they worked to load the bases with two outs. Graduate student centerfielder Tyler Cedeno (Maynard, Mass.) tapped one on the ground to the shortstop, senior Kosta Drosidis (Holden, Mas.) that he lost track of in the low, setting sun. Drosidis recovered diving back to his backhand side and tried to salvage the play and get the runner at second but could not do so and the runners were safe all around. Massaro followed and got the count full and with the runners in motion, he cashed in, singling into shallow center as all three runners crossed the plate to tie the score at four.
Flynn settled in after the tough opening frame, striking out five of the next six men he faced until the offense grabbed the lead in the top of the fourth. Hibbard led off with a single and advanced on a sacrifice bunt by sophomore catcher London Camelo (Bristol, R.I.). Freshman right fielder Alec Lavallee would trade spots with Hibbard with a run-scoring double, the first extra-base hit of his young career. Cedeno flied out for the second out before RWU really got rolling, a pair of walks ensued to fill the bags for Matt Kroll (Tewksbury, N.J.) who would leg out an infield hit to drive in a run, keeping the inning alive in the process. Massaro crossed the plate on a wild pitch while senior Tommy Hobin (Madison, Conn.) who was playing shortstop in game two, drew a free pass to load the bags once more. Junior leftfielder Christopher Flynn (Randolph, N.J.) cashed in by barreling a ball for a ground-rule double to center, chasing home a pair of runs. Hibbard followed with his second knock of the frame to plate Hobin to give the Hawks a 9-4 lead.
Flynn once again struck out three men in the fourth before the offense tacked on three more unearned runs in the visiting half of the fifth, two of which were off a double by Hobin.
Senior right-hander Kyle Schaefer (Madison, Conn.) came on in relief in the fifth and threw a scoreless frame though the Amcats did plate one in the sixth against him.
RWU piled on four more in the seventh. The opened by immediately loading the bags before Hobin and Flynn each recorded their sixth RBI of the day with sacrifice flies. A run scored as Hibbard reached on an error and two batters later, Lavallee singled home a run to make the score 17-5.
Anna Maria got one off sophomore righty Brett Lauterbach (Fairfield, Conn.) in the home half, but he finished off the RWU victory.
Coach's Corner
The offense really showed up today, one through nine. We gave some young guys some AB's and they performed like veterans, the moment was definitely not too big for them, and if they play like that, we will be that much better than we already are. We ran the bases well, put pressure on the defense effectively and the proof is in the run total.
Pitching wise, we attacked with our fastballs and kept them off balance and ultimately limited the freebees via walks which led to some great success.
Defensively, we made some miscues that we would like to tighten up, but we will get there on that end.
All in all, we dominated from inning one through inning 14 and I am pleased with how we played.
What's Next
It will be a quick turnaround for the Hawks as they will return to Northeast Regional Park at the Russmatt Baseball Complex to play a late morning contest against St. Scholastica on Sunday. First pitch is set for 10:30 AM.