June 1, 2024

NCAA DIII CWS: Mulligan blanks Warhawks as Seahawks win 2-0 battle

Batting

UW-Whitewater
2B: none
3B: none
HR: none
Salve Regina
2B: none
3B: none
HR: none
full stats

EASTLAKE, Ohio (Saturday, June 1, 2024) - Salve Regina University sophomore All-American pitcher Sean Mulligan (Verona, N.J.) completed a nine-inning masterpiece for the eighth shutout of the season for the Seahawks, 2-0, over the Warhawks of the University of Wisconsin Whitewater in the final game of day two at the 2024 NCAA Division III National Championships. The Seahawks (40-8) win their seventh straight game and earn a day off tomorrow while the Warhawks (41-10) face their first elimination game at 5 p.m. on Sunday against the Panthers of Birmingham Southern College who survived today's elimination game, 9-7, on a walk-off home run against Randolph-Macon College.

Mulligan (W, 9-2) needed just 95 pitches for his third complete-game shutout of the season. His two previous complete games were mercy-rule shutouts over NEWMAC foes (MIT in March, WPI in May) while he also blanked Emerson over five innings of work without allowing a hit to the Lions. Tonight (with a 9:15 first pitch), Mulligan did not allow a Warhawk hit until two were out in the sixth inning.

Salve Regina loaded the bases in the second inning against Wisconsin Whitewater tough-luck loser Michael Hilker Jr. (Yorkville, Ill.) (L, 8-2) on a one-out walk to Tyler Cannoe (Schenectady, N.Y.) and consecutive singles from Hunter Yaworski (Brooklyn, Conn.). and Wil McCarthy (Pembroke, Mass.). With two outs, Michael Breen (Auburn, Mass.) lashed an 0-1 pitch through the right side to score the game's only runs.

With one shutout per year from 2018 through 2021, the Seahawks have picked up the pace in 2022 (six), 2023 (six), and 2024 (currently with a program-record eight). Today's shutout marked the 11th time since 1989 that Salve Regina has blanked an opponent while scoring two or fewer runs. Earlier this year, the Seahawks opened their NEWMAC slate with a 1-0 win at Springfield College.

POSTGAME PRESS CONFERENCE

INSIDE THE MATCHUP
Final: Salve Regina 2, Wis.-Whitewater 0
Records: Salve Regina (40-8), Wis.-Whitewater (41-10)
All-Time Series: Salve Regina and Wisconsin Whitewater met for the first time ever in any sport.

SUMMARY

NOTEWORTHY

  • With one shutout per year from 2018 through 2021, the Seahawks have picked up the pace in 2022 (six), 2023 (six), and 2024 (currently with a program-record eight).
  • Seahawks establish a new high for wins in a season (40).
  • Sean Mulligan struck out four and walked three while allowing just four singles.
  • Neither team made a substitution the entire game which lasted 1:44 (one hour and 44 minutes).
  • Michael Breen has driven in a run in three consecutive games and raises his season total to 36 RBI.
  • Breen's 36 RBI rank him fourth on the Seahawks behind Christian Homa (48), Matt D'Amato (46), and Hunter Yaworski (39).
  • Michael Hilker Jr. struck out eight Seahawks in 8.0 innings pitched, allowing just five hits and one base on balls.
  • Tyler Cannoe, who earned the lone walk issued by Hilker, scored the first run to raise his season total to 32 runs and tying him with Tyler Petrosino and Michael Breen for sixth on the Seahawks.

NEXT UP
Salve Regina earns a day off (along with defending national champion Lynchburg in opposite winner's bracket) before returning to Classic Auto Group Park on Monday for a 1:15 p.m. first pitch against the survivor of Sunday's elimination game between Wisconsin Whitewater and Birmingham Southern.