BRISTOL, R.I. – In a huge matchup between a pair consensus top-four teams in New England, the Roger Williams University Baseball team outlasted UMass Boston, 9-7 in a wild one on Wednesday evening at Paolino Field. Tyler Cedeno (Maynard, Mass.) and Matt Kroll (Tewksbury, N.J.) fueled the offense with three hits each while Adam Harz (Manchester, Conn.) was huge late picking up a seven-out save.

With the win, the Hawks pick up a crucial regional victory to improve to 14-1 on the season while UMB drops to 11-3 on the year.

Matt Hynes (Farmingdale, N.Y.) got the start for RWU, battling through 4.2 innings of work, allowing four runs, all of them earned, on six hits and two walks while striking out three though he did not factor into the decision. Instead, it was Kyle Schaefer (Madison, Conn.) who got the win after allowing a run on a hit, a walk, and a hit batsman but he also fanned four improving to 2-0 this spring. Harz tossed the final 2.1 innings to pick up his second save of the season for the Hawks.

Tim Cianciolo (New Milford, Conn.) got tagged with the loss for the Beacons going four full frames, allowing six runs, four earned, on six hits and three walks to fall to 2-1 on the year.

Hawk Highlights

Tyler Cedeno: 3-for-4, 2B, SB, BB, 2 RBI, 1 RS

Matt Kroll: 3-for-5, RBI, RS

Ben Bonavita: 2-for-3, BB, 3 RS

Matt Massaro: 1-for-4, 2 SB, BB, 2 RBI

Matt Hynes: 4.2 IP, 6 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 2 BB, 3 K

Kyle Schaefer: (W, 2-0), 1.1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 4 K

Adam Harz: (SV, 2), 2.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 3 K

For The Opponents

Drew Metzdorf: 3-for-5, 3B, HR, 3 RBI, 3 RS

Steve Brookwell: 2-for-4, 2B, 3B, SB, BB, 2 RS

Aidan Blake: 2-for-4, 2B, RBI

Kevin Carrera: 1-for-5, 2B, RBI, RS

Tim Cianciolo: (L, 2-1), 4.0 IP, 6 H, 6 R, 4 ER, 3 BB, 2 K

How It Happened

Things looked like they could have unraveled quickly on Matt Hynes (Farmingdale, N.Y.) as UMass Boston jumped all over the freshman in the first. Steve Brookwell (Hightstown, N.J.) got it started with a double down the leftfield line, then Drew Metzdorf (Burlington, Mass.) scored him with a single to a similar spot. Aidan Blake (Lakeville, Mass.) followed by doubling, once again near the chalk in left and that prompted a mound visit and the young lefty settled in, a second run scored on a Craig Corliss (Hopkinton, Mass.) groundout, but Hynes kept the Beacons rally in check in the first.

After squandering a leadoff baserunner in each of the first two innings, Roger Williams got on the board in the third. Ben Bonavita (East Longmeadow, Mass.) singled to get things started then Owen Hibbard (Roxbury, Conn.) tapped one that was deflected by the pitcher, then booted by the second baseman as all the runners were safe. A couple of productive groundouts later and Bonavita crossed the plate as the Hawks cut the deficit in half.

In the bottom of the fourth, RWU would grab the advantage. Jack Morin (North Andover, Mass.) got plunked and Matt Kroll (Tewksbury, N.J.) singled to open the inning for Christopher Flynn (Randolph, N.J.). He dropped down a good bunt and beat out the throw to first for a hit as the throw sailed down the line allowing Morin to score. Flynn continued to second where the throw once again got away so Kroll crossed the plate and Flynn advanced to third on a little league triple and while all that occurred, the hosts grabbed the advantage. Mike Masino (Bayville, N.J.) and Bonavita took free passes to load the bases for Hibbard who hit it to third, but the Metzdorf throw took the catcher off the bag and Flynn scored courtesy of a bunt single and then three errors. Tyler Cedeno (Maynard, Mass.) would cap off the rally by plating a pair on a double inside of third to extend the lead to 6-2.

UMB would answer in the fifth as Metzdorf made up for his fielding miscue by launching a two-run home run to left to cut into the deficit, ending Hynes' outing at 4.2 innings pitched. Kyle Schaefer (Madison, Conn.) would come in and pick up a strikeout to retire the side and then the two squads began trading runs. Kroll brought in Morin with a single in the bottom of the fifth. The Beacons loaded the bases with no one out and while Schaefer allowed a runner to score on a wild pitch, he fanned the next three to limit the damage. Then Brandon Jenkins (East Bridgewater, Mass.) hit a sacrifice fly making the score 8-5.

The top of the seventh would prove to be critical as the Hawks turned to Anthony Sapienza (North Andover, Mass.) out of the bullpen. Brookwell opened with a triple down the leftfield line and came home on a wild pitch. Metzdorf then hit a three-bagger to right center and came to the plate on a SAC fly by Blake and all of a sudden, the lead was just one. Sapienza got a groundout but a walk and a single to right put the tying run on third and the go-ahead run at first. With the game hanging in the balance, Adam Harz (Manchester, Conn.) came on and required just three pitches to fan Gianni Zarrilli Jr. (South Glastonbury, Conn.) and extinguish the threat.

After getting a much-needed insurance run on an Massaro single in the bottom of the eighth, Harz remained on the mound into the ninth. He retired the first tow men quickly but then drilled Corliss who advanced on a wild pitch. However, as Niko Kydes (Stamford, Conn.) drew a walk representing the tying run, Corliss was caught in no-man's land between second and third and was tagged out in the rundown to end the ballgame.

What's Next

The Hawks conclude their huge mid-week slate of games with another matchup between regionally ranked squads when they host Babson College tomorrow afternoon at Paolino Field. First pitch is scheduled for 3:30 PM.