NEWPORT, R.I.- After a disappointing game one loss, the second-seeded Roger Williams University Baseball team, led by senior first baseman Brandon Jenkins (East Bridgewater, Mass.), rolled to a game two victory on Saturday afternoon at Reynolds Field. With the split against number one seed Salve Regina University, RWU forced a winner-takes-all game three on Sunday.

In game two, Jenkins set the program record for runs batted in in a single game driving home seven runs for the Hawks. Meanwhile Tyler Cedeno (Maynard, Mass.) added three of his own and Ben Bonavita (East Longmeadow, Mass.) did it all with 2.1 innings of work on the mound and a home run at the plate as the Hawks won 12-4.

Earlier in the afternoon, Salve Regina got a pair of long balls and quality pitching from Patrick Mayback (Saunderstown, R.I.) to earn a 9-5 win.

With the split, the Hawks move to 20-10 on the season. On the other side, the Seahawks are 11-4-1.

Hawk Highlights

Game 1

Joey Gulino (Meriden, Conn.): 1-for-3, 2B, SB, BB, RBI, RS

Tyler Cedeno (Maynard, Mass.): 0-for-4, 2 RBI

Jack Morin (North Andover, Mass.): 0-for-4, BB, 2 RS

Connor Hewlette (Deer Park, N.Y.): (L, 2-4), 5.0 IP, 7 H, 6 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 5 K

For The Opponents

Zach Barlok (Cheshire, Conn.): 3-for-3, 2B, HR, RBI, RS

Matt D'Amato (Midland Park, N.J.): 2-for-5, R, 3 RS

Dylan Ketch (Clinton, Conn.): 3-for-4, SB, 2 RBI, RS

Patrick Mayback (Saunderstown, R.I.): (W, 2-0), 6.0 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 7 K

How It Happened

With the Hawks holding a 3-2 advantage, Salve Regina took control of this one in the middle innings with some help from some shaky defense. In the fifth, Matt D'Amato (Midland Park, N.J.) led off by reaching on an error and Jared Beniers (Abington, Mass.) drew a walk ahead of Dylan Ketch (Clinton, Conn.). He dropped down a sacrifice bunt, but reached safely on a bad throw that allowed two runs to score and Ketch to advance to second. He crossed the plate on an Anthony Cieszko (Woodlcliff Lake, N.J.) single and the Seahawks had the lead.

The hosts proceeded to add some more in the sixth. Zach Barlok (Cheshire, Conn.) led off with a home run down the left field line. The Seahawks then went to work with a free pass, a single, and a fly out to put two men in scoring position. Ketch cashed in by singling through the right side of the infield and extending the lead to 8-3.

After Salve Regina manufactured an insurance run with a suicide squeeze bunt play, the Hawks worked to try and mount a comeback in the eighth. The loaded the bases with one out as the Seahawks made a pitching change turning to Graham Jeffries (Chelmsford, Mass.) who promptly plunked Joey Gulino (Meriden, Conn.) to force in a run. Following a Tyler Cedeno (Maynard, Mass.) sacrifice fly, Roger Williams got the tying run to the on-deck circle, but a groundout neutralized the threat and kept the score 9-5.

Earlier in the contest, the two squads traded runs over the first three frames. It took the Hawks two batters to open the scoring in the first as Gulino ripped a lead-off two-bagger, stole second, and scored on a Cedeno RBI ground out. They tacked on an unearned run in the second before another quick strike in the third. Brandon Jenkins (East Bridgewater, Mass.) led-off with a double and scored when George Somers (Lake Hopatcong, N.J.) followed that up with a single back through the box.

Salve Regina got runs in the second and third innings. In the second Brandon Grover (Ashland, Mass.) clubbed a solo shot for his first collegiate long ball. Then in the third, D'Amato led off with a single, advanced to third on a pair of wild pitches, and came home on a balk.

Connor Hewlette (Deer Park, N.Y.) got the start and was good for the Hawks over five innings though he got no help from his defense. He allowed seven hits and two walks leading to six runs but only half of those were earned. Along the way he struck out five. He ended up being hit with the loss to fall to 2-4 on the season. His counterpart, Patrick Mayback (Saunderstown, R.I.), settled down after allowing a run in each of the first three innings tossing six strong frames only surrendering the three runs with two of them earned. He also notched seven strikeouts to go with five hits and three walks and earning the win to improve to 2-0.

Coach's Corner

Not the outcome that we were hoping for, however, we stayed together as a team and picked each other up the entire game.  Defense is the name of the game especially in the playoffs! You must play clean, and we did not.  

Game 2

Brandon Jenkins (East Bridgewater, Mass.): 2-for-4, HR, BB, 7 RBI, RS

Tyler Cedeno (Maynard, Mass.): 2-for-4, 3 RBI, 2 RS

Ben Bonavita (East Longmeadow, Mass.): 1-for-5, HR, RBI, RS

                                                             2.1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 2 K

Nick Harper (Westwood, N.J.): (W, 1-0), 4.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 2 K

For The Opponents

Brandon Grover (Ashland, Mass.): 2-for-2, 2B, BB, 2 RBI

Dustin Siqueira (Trumbull, Conn.): 0-for-2, RBI

Zach Dionne (Tolland, Conn.): (L, 1-1), 1.0+ IP, H, 3 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, K

How It Happened

Playing as the home team in the win-or-go-home game two, the Hawks offense had little trouble figuring out the Salve Regina pitching staff. With the game knotted at one, RWU took the lead for good in the second. A leadoff walk to Matt Massaro (Fairfield, Conn.) prompted a pitching change, and after a ground out, RWU loaded the bases on a single and a walk. Tyler Cedeno (Maynard, Mass.) brought home a run on a fielder's choice. That brought up Brandon Jenkins (East Bridgewater, Mass.) and he unloaded on a pitch and sent it over the fence in right field to give the Hawks a 5-1 advantage.

The inning before, the Hawks opened the scoring against Salve Regina starter Zach Dionne (Tolland, Conn.). They got two men in scoring position when Joey Gulino (Meriden, Conn.) walked, Cedeno singled, and both men moved up 90 feet on a wild pitch. That set up Jenkins who drove in his first run of the contest with a groundout. Dionne escaped further damage, but Jenkins and the Hawks were just getting warmed up.

Before the Hawks retook the lead in the bottom of the second, Salve Regina tied the game in the top half scoring a run without the benefit of a hit. Roger Williams stater Ben Bonavita (East Longmeadow, Mass.) surrendered the only earned run that the Hawks pitching staff would allow in game two as a run scored courtesy of a pair of walks and a pair of hit batsmen.

After taking the lead in the second and extending it in the fourth with a Cedeno run-scoring single and another RBI ground outby Jenkins, Roger Williams piled in on in the fifth. They loaded the bases with two outs thanks to a single, a man reaching on an error, and a free pass as Cedeno stepped in. He got plunked forcing in a run before Jenkins chased home a pair with a single into center. Then, with George Somers (Lake Hopatcong, N.J.) at the dish, Cedeno dashed home on a passed ball extending the lead to 11-1.

Bonavita, who served as both the starting pitcher and the DH in this contest, added one more run in the sixth with a solo home run, his seventh of the season. Later on, the Seahawks got a trio of unearned runs in the eighth, but it was too little, too late as the Hawks evened the series with a 12-4 victory.

Roger Williams pieced together nine innings on the mound by utilizing four different pitchers. Nick Harper (Westwood, N.J.) put in a bulk of the work on the hill to earn his first career win as he allowed just one hit and two walks across 4.2 innings. Bonavita got the start but did not factor into the decision after allowing one run on one hit, two walks, and three hit batsmen in 2.1 innings.

Dionne was the first of eight arms employed by the Seahawks and got tagged with the loss to fall to 1-1. He threw 1.0+ innings and allowed three runs, all earned, on one hit, one hit batsman, and a pair of walks.

Coach's Corner

After struggling in game one, we did what we have done all year, bounce back,stay focused on the game in front of us, and not look back.  We played well in all phases of the game and when we do that, we are very good.     

What's Next

Roger Williams heads back down to Newport on Sunday for a winner-take-all game three showdown against Salve Regina. First pitch will be at noo