MIDDLETOWN, Conn. – Tyler Cedeno (Maynard, Mass.) clubbed a pair of home runs, one of which was a grand slam, on his way to a seven-RBI performance for the Roger Williams University Baseball team as they held off Wesleyan College, 14-6 at the Dresser Diamond on Thursday night. Cedeno's performance matched the program-record for runs driven in during a single game while his pair of longballs is just the sixth multi-home run showing in program history as he has done so in each of the past two games to become the first Hawk on record to accomplish the feat twice in a career.

Cedeno's seven RBI's matches the program-record set by teammate Brandon Jenkins (East Bridgewater, Mass.) just last season in the Hawks 12-4 win over Salve Regina University in the second game of the Commonwealth Coast Conference Semifinals on May 1, 2021. As for the multi-home run games, four of the six such showings have come this season. Cedeno was not the only one to match a single-game record either as Mike Masino (Bayville, N.J.) drew four walks in the game to match the mark set by Tim Georgen '12 against Nichols College on April 10, 2011.

With the win, RWU improves to 22-3-1 on the year while Wesleyan drops to 15-11.

The two teams combined to utilize 11 different pitchers in the contest, and it was Dan Massaro (Fairfield, Conn.) who got the start for Roger Williams and lasted the longest. He allowed four runs, all earned, on seven hits and two walks while striking out six across 5.1 innings to get the win and improve to 4-1. The Cardinals utilized a full flock of wings in this one, the first of whom was David Tirrell (Westfield, Mass.). He got the start as the first of six pitchers to appear for the hosts and he lasted 2.1 innings surrendering three runs, all earned, on four hits and two walks while striking out three to take the loss and drop to 3-2.

Hawk Highlights

Tyler Cedeno: 2-for-5, 2 HR, SB, BB, 7 RBI, 2 RS

Mike Masino: 1-for-1, SB, 4 BB, 2 RBI, 4 RS

Matt Massaro: 0-for-2, 3 SB, 3 BB, RBI

Christopher Flynn: 2-for-5, 2B, SB, RBI, RS

Dan Massaro: (W, 4-1), 5.1 IP, 7 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 2 BB, 6 K

For The Opponents

Dylan Judd: 3-for-5, 2B, HR, RBI, 2 RS

Wes Fritch: 3-for-4, 2B, 2 RBI

Ryan Molinari: 2-for-4, SB, RBI, RS

Adam Geibel: 1-for-3, 2B, BB, RBI, RS

David Tirrell: (L, 3-2), 2.1 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 3 K

How It Happened

This battle of the birds would unfold in similar fashion over the first couple of innings. Both starters worked a 1-2-3 first then faced the minimum number of batters in the second as Christopher Flynn (Randolph, N.J.) singled and stole second but then got picked off to end the top off the inning then Luke Lasaracina (Colchester, Conn.) drew a walk but got gunned down trying to swipe second in the home half.

Roger Williams would break the scoreless tie in the third. Nick Zobian (Califon, N.J.) opened with a single before Mike Masino (Bayville, N.J.) drew a four-pitch walk and both men advanced on a sacrifice bunt by Owen Hibbard (Roxbury, Conn.). It did not end up mattering though, as Tyler Cedeno (Maynard, Mass.) stepped in and for the third time in the last two games he went deep, taking a 2-2 pitch and slipping it over the fence in left to put the Hawks in front. They continued to threaten as Matt Massaro (Fairfield, Conn.) drew a free pass and Brandon Jenkins (East Bridgewater, Mass.) singled to bring a swift conclusion to David Tirrell's (Westfield, Mass.) outing on the mound. Jack Morin (North Andover, Mass.) walked to load the bases, but Adam Bowler got the next two men to escape further damage.

The offense went right back to scoring in the fourth inning, doing so by employing a strategy of not swinging. The frame began by unfolding much like the third did with Zobian singling, Masino working a four-pitch walk, and Hibbard advancing them both, this time with a base on balls of his own. Graham Gilchrist (Boulder, Colo.), who entered to pitch to Hibbard, would get the first out by fanning Cedeno but then he walked Massaro, forcing in run and uncorked a wild pitch to allow another runner to cross the plate. A Jenkins free pass loaded the bases for Morin but first, for the second time in as many innings, Wesleyan made a change on the hill before he stepped into the box. He drove in a run with a SAC Fly to center off Joey Light-Rake (Los Angeles, Calif.) and the score was 6-0 in favor of the guests.

The long break seemed to really effect Dan Massaro (Fairfield, Conn.) when he came back out for the bottom of the inning. Dylan Judd (Bellmore, N.Y.) leadoff with a double then he advanced on an errand pickoff throw by Massaro to second. Kyle Sylvester (Hanover, Mass.) got plunked and Adam Geibel (Evanston, Ill.) got the hosts on the board with a run-scoring double. Massaro fanned the next man for the first out but Ryan Molinari (Glastonbury, Conn.) and Wes Fritch (Dover, N.J.) each notched run-scoring singles to cut the lead down to three. Massaro escaped further damage by striking out the next two, but the Cardinals successfully cut their deficit in half.

RWU threatened by getting a runner in scoring position in each of the next two innings, but those chances proved fruitless, and the hosts chipped into the lead further in the bottom of the sixth. Molinari reached on an infield single with one down bringing an end to Massaro's outing as Kyle Schaefer (Madison, Conn.) entered to pitch. Molinari would steal second and Fritch cashed in with an RBI double. Schaefer would walk a man to put the potential tying run on base, but the situation proceeded no further as he forced a flyout and a groundout to end the inning.

With the hosts in control of the momentum and the Hawks in need of a swing back in their favor, and a swing is exactly what they got as they stuffed the bases with two outs by way of a trio of walks for Cedeno. The graduate student who is very suddenly the most feared slugger in the Commonwealth Coast Conference came through in a big way, rocketing his second homer of the game, this one a grand slam on a 2-0 fastball and with one swing of the bat, the advantage was tripled, and the visitors lead 10-4.

Judd went deep for Wesleyan in the bottom of the inning, but the Hawks offense went to work again against the Cardinals' sixth and final pitcher, Eddie Zanor (Branford, Conn.) in the eighth. Morin and Ben Bonavita (East Longmeadow, Mass.) each drew a walk to start the inning and Flynn followed by plating a run by yanking a two-bagger down the rightfield line. The first out was recorded then Masino dropped down a safety squeeze bunt. Bonavita scored but Zanor committed an error to allow Flynn to come home as well. Hibbard was retired then Masino successfully stole second and was able to advance on a bad throw by Wesleyan's catcher, Ricky Finkel (Ney York, N.Y.). To make matters worse, Molinari booted the loose ball in center to allow Masino to score. That would wrap up the scoring by the guests, but the hosts did piece together one run in the bottom of the eighth as Sylvester singled in a run to bring the final score to 14-6 before the game was called due to darkness.

Coach's Corner

Dan Massaro pitched great through 5.1 striking out six and walking just two. He had a long layoff in the fourth and did not quite look the same when he came out after that inning but he battled and got through it. 

Offensively we worked great at-bats, saw a ton of pitches, and walked 13 times. That is a great way deplete a lot of pitching staffs and we will get deep into the other team's bullpen if we can keep doing that. Tyler Cedeno continued his hot streak and gave us a lift in the third helping us jump out to an early lead! From there we followed our game plan by being aggressive on the basepaths and pressuring them! Which worked exactly how we thought it would.

All in all, good day for us and we will use this momentum rolling into the weekend.

What's Next

Roger Williams finally returns to Paolino Field on Saturday as they host the Wentworth Institute of Technology for a Senior Day doubleheader. First pitch of game one is set for noon.