DAVENPORT, Fla. – For the third time in less than 24 hours, the Roger Williams University Baseball team plated 16 or more runs as they mashed a season-high 19 hits including six for extra bases on their way to a run-rule victory over the College of St. Scholastica, 16-6, on Sunday. All but one member of the Hawks starting nine recorded multiple hits in the contest.
With the victory, RWU improves to 5-0 to start the season for just the second time in team history, the first of which came in 2008 when they set program-best marks in wins and winning percentage. The Saints, meanwhile, opened their Spring Break Trip by falling to 1-5 on the campaign.
Graduate student centerfielder Tyler Cedeno (Maynard, Mass.) enjoyed a breakout performance for the Hawks. He finished with three hits, including a triple, driving in three runs and scoring one more while senior shortstop Tommy Hobin (Madison, Conn.) continued his torrid start, adding two more extra-base hits to his tally to catapult himself to the conference lead in that category. He also drove in three runs for the third consecutive contest to jump into second in the CCC.
On the mound, junior right-hander Dan Massaro (Fairfield, Conn.) opened his 2022 campaign by pitching effectively for five frames to earn the victory and improve to 1-0. He surrendered three runs, all earned, on four hits and three walks on the day while striking out a pair. Senior righty Grant Taival (Lake Elmo, Minn.) got the nod for the Saints and following a strong first two frames, he got lit up in the third finishing by allowing eight runs, all earned, on seven hits and two walks while striking out two.
Hawk Highlights
Game 1
Tyler Cedeno: 3-for-4, 3B, SB, 3 RBI, RS
Tommy Hobin: 2-for-3, 2B, 3B, 2 BB, 3 RBI, 3 RS
Owen Hibbard: 3-for-4, 2B, RBI, 2 RS
Matt Massaro: 2-for-5, 3B, 2 RBI, 2 RS
Dan Massaro: (W, 1-0), 5.0 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 3 BB, 2 K
For The Opponents
Mitchell Olson: 2-for-4, 2B, BB, RBI, RS
Luke Schemenauer: 2-for-4, RBI, RS
Jack Harris: 1-for-4, HR, BB, RBI, 2 RS
Jack Tiemann: 1-for-2, BB, RBI
Grant Taival: (L, 0-1), 2.2 IP, 7 H, 8 R, 8 ER, 2 BB, 2 K
How It Happened
While it did not last, the first two and a half innings were uneventful. Roger Williams starter Dan Massaro (Fairfield, Conn.) set down nine of the first 11 men he faced in rather efficient fashion while the St. Scholastica hurler, Grant Taival (Lake Elmo, Minn.), matched his effort retiring six of eight to open his outing. That dramatically concluded in the home half of the third.
Freshman second baseman Owen Hibbard (Roxbury, Conn.) got things started by floating a double into shallow right and advanced to third base on a sacrifice bunt by graduate student centerfielder Tyler Cedeno (Maynard, Mass.). Junior third baseman Matt Massaro (Fairfield, Conn.) would take his spot at third by blasting a triple into the power alley in right-center field and he would cross the plate on an RBI groundout by graduate student first baseman Brandon Jenkins (East Bridgewater, Mass.). With two runs already in and no one on base, RWU could have been content with just their two runs but instead, they were just getting warmed up as six of the next seven men hit their way on base safely. Sophomore designated hitter Nick Zobian (Califon, N.J.) and sophomore catcher Jack Morin (North Andover, Mass.) got things started with a pair of singles before senior shortstop Tommy Hobin (Madison, Conn.) brought them both home with a two-bagger. Junior leftfielder Christopher Flynn (Randolph, N.J.) followed and traded places with Hobin by clubbing a run-scoring ground-rule double to center. Senior right fielder Ben Bonavita (East Longmeadow, Mass.) kept the inning alive by drawing a free pass then Hibbard plated a run with his second knock of the inning to prompt a pitching change. Cedeno capped things off with a single up the middle to plate the seventh and eighth runs of the frame. All told, RWU piled up their eight tallies on eight hits including four for extra bases in the stanza.
The Saints would respond over the course of an extra-eventful top of the fourth. Sophomore right fielder Jack Harris (San Francisco, Calif.) led off by obliterating a Massaro offering for a home run to right field and gave it an extra long look to fire up both benches. Tensions rose even further when, following a walk, sophomore third baseman Luke Schemenauer (Chippewa Falls, Wis.) hit a dribbler down the first-base line that Massaro fielded and went to apply a tag, but in the process got trucked by Schemenauer who was ruled safe on the play. Senior leftfielder Mitchell Olson (Eden Prairie, Minn.) brought home a run with a double and there were still no outs in the frame. Massaro would limit the threat from there picking up a strikeout then inducing a sacrifice fly before escaping further damage by forcing a ground out, and while St. Scholastica closed the gap, RWU still held an 8-3 advantage.
It seemed as through the designated road team would maintain their surge in the home half of the inning as the first two Hawks were retired quickly, but that would not be the case as Morin singled, Hobin battled from out of a 1-2 hole to blast a run-scoring triple on the 11th pitch of his at bat before Flynn brought him to the plate with a single to regain momentum.
RWU turned to the bullpen following the fifth inning and while they went unscathed in the sixth, things got dicey in the seventh. Against freshman right-hander Dom DeFeo (Kennebunk, Maine) and sophomore southpaw Brandon Csizmadia (Trumbull, Conn.), the Saints got three runs without the benefit of a hit as the RWU relieving duo walked three men and plunked three others. With the game hanging in the balance, the Hawks went to senior closer Adam Harz (Manchester, Conn.) who would escape by forcing a groundout thought the lead was cut to four.
Roger Williams responded once more in the bottom half and once again they did so with a two-out rally. Hibbard poked a single into right and after freshman Justin Piskorski (Berlin, Conn.) came on to pinch run, Cedeno would drive in his third run by popping a triple onto the chalk down the right field line. Massaro drove him in with a single and two batters later, Zobian brought in two more with a single and the advantage was extended to 14-6.
The Hawks plated two more on a sacrifice fly by freshman Max Andrade (Tewksbury, N.J.) and a wild pitch to extend the lead to ten, activating the run-rule in the eighth.
Coach's Corner
The offense really picked up the pitching today. We really swung the bats well and we are clicking on all cylinders right now. We are putting the ball in play, running the bases well, and executing at a high level.
Dan Massaro really battled through his five innings, and I thought he looked really good today. The bullpen was a little troublesome for us, we gave them some freebees and they took advantage, but we got outs when we needed them.
On defense, I though we played very sound and made some good plays in some big spots.
Overall, it is great to get off to a good start down here in Florida and that is exactly what we have done to this point heading into our off day.
What's Next
Roger Williams will get an off day before they draw William Paterson for a night game on Tuesday. First pitch is scheduled for 6:00 PM.