NEWPORT, R.I. (May 11, 2022) - Two-time defending Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) champion Salve Regina University baseball scored seven runs in the first three innings while pitchers Patrick Maybach (Saunderstown, R.I.) and Nicolas Santo (Pompano Beach, Fla.) combined on a two-hit shutout against Suffolk University, 7-0, in the opening round of the double-elimination format of the conference tournament at Reynolds Field. The top-seeded Seahawks (27-9-2) advance to host No. 5 Nichols College (lost at Roger Williams today) at 3 p.m. on Thursday while the No. 6 Rams (23-19) seek to survive in an elimination game at No. 5 Western New England (lost at Endicott today). The No. 3 Hawks travel to the No. 2 Gulls in a Thursday matchup of winners from today.

Maybach finished with eight Ks in five innings, including a string of five straight Rams striking out from the end of the first to the start of the third. Santo extends his consecutive scoreless inning streak to 13.0 frames.

Matt D'Amato (Midland Park, N.J.) singled to right to jump start the Seahawk offense in the first and came home on an infield single for Wil McCarthy (Pembroke, Mass.). Dylan Ketch (Clinton, Conn.) advanced on a balk to score the second run of the game.

After Maybach struck out the side in the second, Salve Regina added two more runs in the bottom half. Tyler Petrosino (Beverly, Mass.) led off with a single to right and advanced to third after a walk and a fielder's choice grounder. Dustin Siqueira (Trumbull, Conn.) stole second and followed Petrosino home on Ketch's two-out, two-run single.

In the Seahawk third, Brandon Grover (Ashland, Mass.), Ryan Graciale (Swampscott, Mass.), Petrosino, and Chris Veneruso (Westport, Conn.) reached on a walk, hit-by-pitch, walk, and an RBI hit-by-pitch successively for a 5-0 lead. D'Amato had an RBI fielder's choice grounder and Siqueira finished the scoring with a sacrifice fly to center.

Salve Regina went 1-0-1 versus Nichols in a regular-season doubleheader in Dudley, Mass., last month.