LYNCHBURG, Va. (May 22, 2022) - Salve Regina University baseball advances to its first-ever regional championship after eliminating host and nationally-ranked No. 11 University of Lynchburg, 6-3, in a morning start at Bank of the James Stadium on Sunday. The Seahawks (30-12-2), behind the combined 13-strikeout performance of veteran starter Patrick Maybach (Saunderstown, R.I.) and closer Andrew Roman (Monson, Mass.), advance to face undefeated and nationally-ranked No. 3 Birmingham Southern College (40-8) in a Sunday afternoon start slated for 2:32 p.m. The Panthers can clinch the regional with one win while the Seahawks need to win to force a deciding "if necessary" game on Monday at Liberty University.

Salve Regina took a 1-0 lead in its first at bat with the help of a Hornet error, a single by Dustin Siqueira (Trumbull, Conn.) that sent Brandon Grover (Ashland, Mass.) before the Seahawk sophomore came home on a sacrifice fly by Tyler Cannoe (Schenectady, N.Y.).

In the Hornet top half of the second, Riley O'Donovan (Reston, Va.) led off with a double and went to third after Maybach issued a walk on a wild pitch. After a strikeout, Holden Fiedler (Henrico, Va.) reached on a fielder's choice to shortstop to drive in O'Donovan.

The Seahawks got a two-run lead with a pair in their second frame. Tyler Petrosino (Beverly, Mass.) doubled to left center and scored when Jared Beniers (Abington, Mass.) reached on a throwing error. Siqueira later hit a sac fly to right for a 3-1 lead.

Siqueira singled up the middle to lead off the fifth followed by a walk to Cannoe. Dylan Ketch (Clinton, Conn.) doubled to right center to score both Seahawks.

Both teams added a single run in the sixth in different fashion. Avery Neaves (Reston, Va.) homered to left center over the scoreboard which stands 30 feet above the fences. Maybach regrouped to get the final three batters he faced on a ground out, strike out, and fly out. Cannoe had a two-out single through the left side to score Beniers from third.

Roman struck out the first three batters he faced in the seventh. After his fourth K to start the eighth, he served up triple to left center to Garrett Jackson (Virginia Beach, Va.) and Neaves promptly delivered him with a single to left. Roman struck out the next two Hornets to stifle the threat.

Wil McCarthy (Pembroke, Mass.) started a 5-4-3 double-play for the first two outs in the ninth and finished the game with a barehanded grab of a slow roller to third to fire to Cannoe for the final out.

POSTGAME INTERVIEWS

Dustin Siqueira - 

Patrick Maybach - 

Eric Cirella -