NEWPORT, R.I. (Saturday, May 10, 2025) -- 10th-ranked and top-seeded Salve Regina University baseball scored a 6-1 decision over second-seeded United States Coast Guard Academy on Reynolds Field to become the first team to reach the NEWMAC championship round and the Seahawks will play an 11 a.m. game on Mother's Day needing just one more victory for their first league title in their second season in the New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference. Coast Guard (26-13) will meet the third-seeded MIT (18-19), who survived its first elimination game this morning at Brown University's Attanasia Family Field against fifth-seeded Wheaton College with three runs in the bottom of the ninth including a walk-off two-run homer from CJ McCarthy, in another elimination game at 3 p.m. today on Reynolds Field.

In today's winners' bracket matchup, Seahawk starter Brayden Clark (W, 10-2) set the career wins mark for the program (32) after striking out a dozen and allowing just one run while scattering seven hits to the Bears. Clark, the reigning pitcher of the week (NEWMAC, D3baseball.com, NCBWA), finished with a flourish as he struck out the side in the seventh.

Salve Regina (31-7) runs its win streak to 16 games and ends Coast Guard's program-best streak at 10 games. The Seahawks plated three runs in the bottom of the first and another in the next frame for an early 4-0 cushion.

After Clark set the Bears down 1-2-3 in the top of the first, Brandon Grover ignited the Seahawk offense with a single to center field. Christian Homa was hit by a pitch and Evan O'Rourke reached on a bunt single to load the bases. All three runners moved up a base on a balk with Grover scoring the game's first run. Wil McCarthy was hit by a pitch to load the bases again and Shane Williams followed with a two-run single to left field. The Bears got a 6-4-3 double play to avoid further damage.

Rick Barkley led off the top of the second with a single down the right field line before Clark struck out three straight Bears. Tyler Petrosino led the Seahawk half of the second with a single to left center and Grady Schopps moved him to second with a sacrifice bunt back to the pitcher. Petrosino stole third and came home after a throwing error with an unearned run for a 4-0 lead.

In the Coast Guard fourth, the Bears touched Clark for a run after two were out with three straight singles -- Wyatt Duthu, Connor Cilento, and Jack Steel -- the latter an RBI base hit to left center scoring Duthu from second.

The score remained 4-1 until the Seahawk seventh when Salve Regina added a pair of unearned insurance runs. Grady Schopps beat out a swinging-bunt single to starting pitcher John DeMarsico (L, 6-3) and Grover followed at the top of the order with a double down the right field line. Homa was walked intentionally after working a 3-0 count. Enter relief pitcher Raymond Priddy who struck out the first batter he faced before Hunter Yaworski reached on a fielder's choice and an error ensued with Schopps and Grover scoring before Homa was out at third.

Andrew Wertz worked the eighth on the mound for Salve Regina with two Ks and Nolan Romanowski finished the game with a strikeout to send the Seahawks to Championship Sunday.

INSIDE THE MATCHUP
Final: Salve Regina 6, Coast Guard 1
Records: Salve Regina (31-7, 13-3 NEWMAC), Coast Guard (26-13, 12-4 NEWMAC)
History: Today was the 29th meeting on the baseball diamond between Salve Regina and Coast Guard. The two institutions were charter members of the Commonwealth Coast Conference (now Conference of New England) in 1984. Seahawks improve to 18-11 in the all-time series and are 7-2 since 2013. Salve Regina is also 4-2 against Coast Guard since joining the NEWMAC in 2023-24, with two of those victories coming in the postseason.

SUMMARY

• B1 - Evan O'Rourke advanced to second on a balk; Christian Homa advanced to third on a balk; Brover Grover scored on a balk. Shane Williams singled to left field, 2 RBI; Wil McCarthy advanced to second; E. O'Rourke scored; C. Homa scored.     | SEAHAWKS 3, BEARS 0
• B2 - Tyler Petrosino stole third, scored on a throwing error by c, T. Petrosino, unearned. | SEAHAWKS 4, BEARS 0
• T4 - J. Steel singled to left center, RBI; C. Cilento advanced to second; W. Duthu scored. | SEAHAWKS 4, BEARS 1
• B7 - Hunter Yaworski reached on a fielder's choice; Christian Homa advanced to second on an error by 2b, out at third 2b to 3b; Brandon Grover scored, unearned; Grady Schopps scored, unearned.    | SEAHAWKS 6, BEARS 1

NOTEWORTHY

• Brayden Clark (W, 10-2) set the career wins mark for the program (32) after striking out a dozen and allowing just one run while scattering seven hits.
• Multiple hits for Brandon Grover (2), Evan O'Rourke (2), and Shane Williams (2).
• Salve Regina is now 2-0 against Coast Guard in the NEWMAC postseason.
• Salve Regina is now one shy of its all-time win streak (17, set in 2023). The Seahawks can equal that mark tomorrow, but their all-time unbeaten streak remains 25 and includes those 17 straight that were preceded by a 5-5 tie at Western New England (April 15, 2023) and seven consecutive victories starting with an 11-2 win over Rhode Island College (April 4, 2023).

ON DECK
Salve Regina plays the winner of MIT versus Coast Guard (Game 7 of the NEWMAC Championships) at 11 a.m. on Reynolds Field. An "If necessary" game will follow at 3 p.m.