EAST BOSTON, Mass. – It took a five-run rally in the ninth inning of game one, but the Roger Williams University Baseball team picked up their sixth and seventh consecutive wins with a doubleheader sweep of Suffolk University at East Boston Memorial Park on Saturday afternoon. Down to their 27th out in the first game, the Hawks rallied to win 9-5 before they lead from wire-to-wire and pulled away late to take game two, 8-3.
With the sweep, the RWU Baseball team continues their best start in program history, improving to 17-1 while advancing to 4-0 in Commonwealth Coast Conference play for the first time since they started 8-0 in 2014. Suffolk on the other hand drops their third straight over the past two days to fall to 10-8, 1-4 in CCC play.
Neither starting pitcher would factor into the decision in game one. Justin Garcia (Foxborough, Mass.) went the first six innings, and he fanned a dozen while only allowing three hits, however, he did end up surrendering four runs, two of them earned, while walking two, and hitting four batters. EJ Birch (Menands, N.Y.) got the nod for the hosts throwing the first 5.1 innings, fanning five while allowing four runs, two of them earned, on five hits and five walks.
Instead, the game one pitching decisions would fall upon the bullpens. Brett Lauterbach (Fairfield, Conn.) tossed a perfect eighth to get the win for the Hawks to improve to 1-0. Meanwhile, hybrid second baseman and closer Garret Roberts (Stratham, N.H.) wound up on the hook as he ended up with a blown save and the loss to fall to 0-2. He went the last two innings allowing five runs though none of them were earned, giving up four hits and walking three along the way.
In game two, Chris Flynn (Naugatuck, Conn.) continued his outstanding start to the season, getting the win and improving to 4-0 on the year. He did not have his best stuff on the day, but he was nonetheless effective completing six innings allowing three runs, only one earned, on eight hits while not walking a man and striking out seven. Nick Reiser (Nahant, Mass.) started on the hill for the Rams in game two and was tagged with the loss, falling to 1-2 on the year after completing seven innings allowing five runs, all earned, on eight hits and three walks.
Hawk Highlights
Game 1
Ben Bonavita: 3-for-4, 2 2B, BB, 2 RBI, RS
Matt Massaro: 3-for-4, 2 BB, RBI, RS
Brandon Jenkins: 2-for-4, BB, 2 RBI
Tyler Cedeno: 1-for-5, BB, RBI, RS
Justin Garcia: 6.0 IP, 3 H, 4 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 12 K
Brett Lauterbach: (W, 1-0), 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 0 K
For The Opponents
Harry Painter: 2-for-3, 2B, HR, BB, RBI, 2 RS
Joe Ward: 2-for-5, RS
Jonny Gilbride: 1-for-3, RBI
Marc Birbiglia: 0-for-3, RBI, RS
EJ Birch: 5.1 IP, 5 H, 4 R, 2 ER, 5 BB, 5 K
Garrett Roberts: (L, 0-2), 2.0 IP, 4 H, 5 R, 0 ER, 3 BB, 2 K
How It Happened
Game one would prove to be a wild one on this sunny Saturday afternoon, but it started pretty normal. Roger Williams would score right away in the first inning. Matt Massaro (Fairfield, Conn.) drew a one-out walk then went first-to-third on a single by Brandon Jenkins (East Bridgewater, Mass.) to left as Jenkins took second on the throw. Jack Morin (North Andover, Mass.) brought in the run with a groundout to second and just like that, the Hawks had a lead before Justin Garcia (Foxborough, Mass.) threw a single pitch.
RWU added another in the third as Tyler Cedeno (Maynard, Mass.) drew a free pass, and went first-to-third on a Massaro single to open the inning. Massaro would get caught trying to steal second for the first time all season, but it did not matter as Cedeno would come home when Jenkins reached on an error. They then continued their trend of scoring in odd-numbered innings in the fifth. Ben Bonavita (East Longmeadow, Mass.) leadoff with a double but was erased on an Owen Hibbard (Roxbury, Conn.) fielders choice. The second out was recorded but Massaro kept the inning alive by taking ball four and Jenkins cashed in with an RBI single and the lead was out to 3-0 in favor of the guests.
Meanwhile, Garcia was cruising along on the mound allowing just three baserunners through the first five frames. However, after the offense plated another run an RBI fielders choice by Hibbard in the sixth, things quickly began to unravel on the southpaw. The first out was recorded with no issues but then Garret Roberts (Stratham, N.H.) got hit by a pitch, Joe Ward (Saugus, Mass.) reached on an infield single, and Harry Painter (Essex, Mass.) walked to load the bases. Garcia proceeded to record his third hit batsman of the game, drilling Marc Birbiglia (Saint James, N.Y.) forcing in Suffolk's first run of the contest and then things started to get really weird. Luke Harder (Liverpool, N.Y.) reached by way of catcher's interference, forcing a second run across the plate before a fourth Ram got plunked, this time Blase Cormier (Wayland, Mass.), and another run was forced in. Garcia finally picked up a K for out number two but then Jonny Gilbride (Beverly, Mass.) walked forcing the tying run home. Garcia finally stopped the bleeding by forcing Christian Seariac (Framingham, Mass.), who leadoff the inning to start the madness, to ground out. However, the game was tied as the hosts plated a quartet of runs on three hit batters, two walks, one catcher's interference, and just one base hit.
After failing to score after loading the bases with one out in the top of the seventh, Nick Harper (Westwood, N.J.) would enter the game for RWU in the bottom of the inning. He retired the first two men with little trouble but then Painter jumped one and crushed a go-ahead home run to right giving Suffolk their first lead of the day, 5-4.
Roger Williams got the tying run on base twice in the eighth. Bonavita leadoff with a single but was picked off then Cedeno later singled, however they were unable to do anything with them. Brett Lauterbach (Fairfield, Conn.) entered and tossed a clean eighth setting the stage for a dramatic ninth inning.
Now facing Roberts, who had moved from second base to the mound to try to lock down the six-out save to start the eighth, Jenkins walked, advanced to second on a Morin sacrifice bunt, and was subsequently pinch run for by Alec Lavallee (Cumberland, R.I.). Christopher Flynn (Randolph, N.J.) followed that up with a walk, but London Camelo (Bristol, R.I.) fanned for out number-two. With their backs against the wall and staring their second defeat in the face, the Hawks found a way. Mike Masino (Bayville, N.J.) reached on the second critical catcher's interference call of the game to set up Bonavita who mashed one into the right-center field gap for a ground-rule double to thrust the visitors in front and they were far from being done. Masino scored and Bonavita moved up to third on a passed ball as Hibbard drew a walk. Cedeno followed by rolling one over, but it was botched by the shortstop Gilbride as another run came in then Massaro plated Hibbard on an RBI single to right. While Cedeno was gunned down trying to go first-to-third on the play, RWU had turned a one-run deficit into a four-run lead with all their damage coming with two-outs in the ninth.
Adam Harz (Manchester, Conn.) entered to close it out and while the first two men reached on base hits, he successfully worked a scoreless bottom of the ninth to wrap-up win number-16 on the season.
Game 2
London Camelo: 2-for-5, 2B, 3B, RBI, 2 RS
Christopher Flynn: 2-for-4, SB, RBI, RS
Brandon Jenkins: 2-for-4, BB, RBI, RS
Matt Kroll: 2-for-5, RBI, RS
Chris Flynn: (W, 4-0), 6.0 IP, 8 H, 3 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 7 K
For The Opponents
Luke Harder: 2-for-4, 2B, RBI, RS
Christian Seariac: 2-for-4, RS
Harry Painter: 1-for-3, RS
Shane Lake: 1-for-2, BB
Nick Reiser: (L, 1-2) 7.0 IP, 8 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 3 BB, 4 K
How It Happened
Roger Williams would jump all over Suffolk starter Nick Reiser (Nahant, Mass.) in the first inning of game two. Matt Massaro (Fairfield, Conn.) and Brandon Jenkins (East Bridgewater, Mass.) drew back-to-back walks with one out ahead of Matt Kroll (Tewksbury, N.J.). Kroll proceeded to dump one into left-center field for a single, plating Massaro as Jenkins took third. Christopher Flynn (Randolph, N.J.) followed that up with a single of his own, bringing in Jenkins. Both Kroll and Flynn advanced 90 feet on a passed ball then another 90 on a wild pitch, scoring Kroll in the process and the Hawks had a quick 3-0 advantage. Then, in the second inning, London Camelo (Bristol, R.I.) leadoff with a triple and scored on a balk and while Reiser would settle in from there, the lead was 4-0.
Suffolk would get back into it against Chris Flynn (Naugatuck, Conn.) in the fourth. Christian Seariac (Framingham, Mass.) got things going with a single and Harry Painter (Essex, Mass.) followed with a knock of his own two batters later. The second out was recorded prior to Luke Harder (Liverpool, N.Y.) driving a two-bagger into right plating Seariac. It appeared as though Flynn would get out of the jam when he forced Blase Cormier (Wayland, Mass.) to tap a grounder to short but Mike Masino (Bayville, N.J.) could not handle it and two runs scored. Flynn would not allow any more runs in the frame, but the Rams were within one.
It would be all Hawks from there as the offense went to work piecing together insurance runs with the first coming in the seventh. Tyler Cedeno (Maynard, Mass.) got drilled, advanced to second on a Massaro groundout and then crossed the plate on a Jenkins single through and into right field. Then in the eighth RWU got a two-out rally as Masino singled then scored on a Camelo double. Tommy Hobin (Madison, Conn.) followed that up with a single to plate Camelo and the guests were comfortably in command. Ben Bonavita (East Longmeadow, Mass.) tacked on another with an RBI-double in the ninth, but it was unnecessary because after the rocky fourth Flynn had settled down on the mound.
Flynn threw the fifth and sixth innings for Roger Williams and while he allowed two men to reach against him in the sixth, he induced an inning-ending double play to escape further trouble. In the seventh, the Hawks turned to Kyle Schaefer (Madison, Conn.) who walked a man but erased him with a double play ball across two uneventful innings of relief before Lucas Lariviere (Cumberland, R.I.) polished things off with a clean ninth to clinch the team's 17th win on the campaign.
Coach's Corner
Garcia dominated through five and hit a rough patch in the sixth of game one. Suffolk did a good job manufacturing runs any way they could to get back in the game. The bullpen really stepped up today to help us seal the first game for us.
Offensively early in the game I think we got away from our approach that has been working so well for us. Later in the game when the game was on the line, we went back to keeping it simple and the results showed.
In game two Flynn dominated like he has been doing for us all year. When he handed the ball off to the bullpen, just like in game one, they got the job done. Our pitching has been great lately.
Offensively in game two we jumped out to an early lead and never looked back. Some guys that got starts today really showed up and were a really big reason we won this game. London Camelo had some huge hits for us today and Tommy Hobin had some great at bats. I tip my cap to both of them staying checked in and being ready for their opportunity.
All in all, what a day! Taking two from a good Suffolk team was exactly what we were looking to do. The team is playing well but so much more room for improvement!
What's Next
Roger Williams hosts their archrivals from Newport as Salve Regina makes the short trip up Route-114 to Paolino Field for a big conference showdown on Tuesday afternoon. First pitch is set for 3:00 PM.