MILTON, Mass. – Brandon Jenkins (East Bridgewater, Mass.) drove in four runs and Jack Morin (North Andover, Mass.) added three more and each launched a home run as the Roger Williams University Baseball team rolled Curry College, 10-2 at the Jack Vallely Diamond on Tuesday afternoon. In need of a bounce-back showing after getting held to just three runs in their weekend doubleheader, the offense answered the call with their 12th double-digit scoring output of the season, matching their total from last season.
With the win, RWU rights itself after a tough week last week, improving to 18-3-1 on the season, 5-2-1 against Commonwealth Coast Conference opponents. The Colonels on the other hand, drop to 8-11, 1-5 in CCC play.
On the mound, Dan Massaro (Fairfield, Conn.) was effective across five innings allowing two runs on just two hits though he walked four to go with six strikeouts improving to 3-1 in the process. Connor Hewlette (Deer Park, N.Y.) entered and threw the final three innings, fanning two and walking one to record his first save since his freshman year the long way. Colman Dyer (Sterling, Mass.) got the ball for the hosts and only lasted 1.2 innings allowing five runs on four hits and two walks, striking out one and as a result he was tagged for his first loss of the season to drop to 2-1.
Hawk Highlights
Brandon Jenkins: 2-for-3, 2B, HR, BB, 4 RBI, 2 RS
Jack Morin: 3-for-5, 2B, HR, 3 RBI, RS
Matt Massaro: 2-for-3, SB, 2 BB, 2 RBI, 3 RS
Tommy Hobin: 0-for-3, SB, 2 BB, 2 RS
Dan Massaro: (W, 3-1), 5.0 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 4 BB, 6 K
Connor Hewlette: (SV, 1), 3.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 2 K
For The Opponents
Jason Leonard: 1-for-3, BB, 2 RBI
Brett Heggs: 1-for-4
Conor Hanlon: 0-for-2, BB, RS
Ryan Goonan: 0-for-3 BB, RS
Colman Dyer: (L, 2-1), 1.2 IP, 4 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 2 BB, 1 K
How It Happened
Roger Williams jumped on the board almost immediately against Curry starter Colman Dyer (Sterling, Mass.). Tyler Cedeno (Maynard, Mass.) leadoff by getting plunked then Matt Massaro (Fairfield, Conn.) drew a free pass to put two on with no one out for Brandon Jenkins (East Bridgewater, Mass.) and he did damage. He took the Dyer offering over the rightfield fence for his third longball in the last four games, and his fifth homerun overall to give the guests the advantage before an out was recorded. The Hawks threatened for more putting the next two men in scoring position, but they failed to plate another run in the first.
The bats went right back to work for RWU in the second. Tommy Hobin (Madison, Conn.) drew a walk and swiped second to get it started. Cedeno advanced him to third on a lineout to right and Massaro cashed in with a single back through the box. He too promptly stole second and subsequently crossed the plate when Jack Morin (North Andover, Mass.) clobbered a two-bagger to rightfield bringing Dyer's afternoon on the hill to a close after allowing as many runs as outs recorded. Phil Ledwith (Old Saybrook, Conn.) entered and avoided further trouble, but the score was 5-0 in favor of the Hawks.
Both pitchers settled in for a few innings after that. After Dan Massaro (Fairfield, Conn.) allowed the first two men to reach against him in the bottom of the first, he set down 12 consecutive Colonels, five by way of a K. That streak was snapped by a leadoff walk in the fifth. In fact, it was the first of three walks issued to the first four batters of the inning as Massaro handed Curry a bases loaded situation and after the second out was recorded, they took advantage. Jason Leonard (Dedham, Mass.) would poke a single into right to score a pair and just like that the tying run was at the plate. However, Massaro would proceed to fan Brandon Polonco (Brooklyn, N.Y.) to extinguish the threat.
The Colonels rally in the fifth seemed to light a spark for the offense as they went about burying the hosts in the sixth. Hobin drew a walk and advanced on a Cedeno groundout giving RWU a runner on second with two away. Matt Massaro plated the run with a single through the right side then he took second on a wild pitch. Jenkins followed that up by scorching a double down the right field line for his fourth RBI of the day before Morin clubbed his first homerun of the season to center to make the score 9-2.
The Hawks added an insurance run in the ninth when Ben Bonavita (E. Longmeadow, Mass.) opened the inning with a single then proceeded to round the bases 90 feet at a time by way of three wild pitches, but it was unnecessary as the Roger Williams arms went back to shutdown baseball.
After Dan Massaro's hiccup in the fifth Anthony Sapienza (North Andover, Mass.) entered toss a clean sixth, before giving way to Connor Hewlette (Deer Park, N.Y.). The graduate student would finish the job going the final three innings allowing a single baserunner on a walk leading off the ninth, but that runner was erased on a double play and the Hawks secured the 10-2 victory.
Coach's Corner
Dan Massaro was great on mound for us today. He limited free passes and filled up the strike zone. Which is what we talked about in practice this week. Sapienza came in for an inning and pitched extremely well! We then handed the ball off to Hewlette who had been away in Greece for the last 10 days. So, getting him back and on the mound was important for us and he threw it like he never left!
Offensively we woke up today and got back to our approach. And a lot of the barrels we had were right at them, so the box score does not really say how well we swung the bat today. Jenkins has really turned it on the last couple of games and that's great to see.
What's Next
Roger Williams will be road warriors over the next couple of weeks, as today marked the beginning of six-straight games away from Paolino Field. Next stop, Keene, New Hampshire for a nonconference battle with Keene State on Thursday. First pitch is scheduled for 3:00 PM.