MIDDLETOWN, Pa. (Friday, May 16, 2025) -- #7/#10 Salve Regina University baseball won its opening game in the 2025 NCAA Division III Championships, 5-0, over Keene State College, and notched its program-record 18th consecutive victory (passing the 17 mark set in 2023). Starter Brayden Clark (W, 11-2) struck out five in eight innings while scattering four hits and Nolan Romanowski pitched a 1-2-3 ninth with two Ks as Salve Regina improved to 33-7 on the season. At the top of the Seahawk order, Brandon Grover reached base four times on three hits and scored four runs including a solo home run in the seventh.

Clark retired the first 10 Owls he faced before hitting a batter in the fourth. Keene State did not get its first base hit until the fifth inning.

Salve Regina scored single runs in the first three frames and added another in the fifth before Grover's third home run of the year capped the scoring.

INSIDE THE MATCHUP
Final: Salve Regina 5, Keene State 0
Records: Salve Regina (33-7), Keene State (25-16)
History: Salve Regina meets Keene State for the 11th time on a baseball diamond and the first since 2017. The Seahawks have won the last five meetings, sweeping a doubleheader in Newport in 2015 before a single game in Newport in 2017 and another in Keene, N.H., later that spring. The Owls won the first six contests starting with a 2005 doubleheader in Tampa, Florida.

SUMMARY

• B1 - Evan O'Rourke reached on a fielder's choice, out at second 1b to ss; Christian Homa out at second ss to 2b; Brandon Grover advanced to third, scored on a throwing error by 2b, unearned. | SEAHAWKS 1, OWLS 0
• B2 - Tyler Petrosino singled to right field, RBI; Shea Donovan scored. | SEAHAWKS 2, OWLS 0
• B3 - Evan O'Rourke grounded out to 2b, RBI; C. Homa advanced to third; Brandon Grover scored. | SEAHAWKS 3, OWLS 0
• B5 - Christian Homa singled to left field, RBI; Brandon Grover scored, unearned. | SEAHAWKS 4, OWLS 0
• B7 - Brandon Grover homered to right field, RBI. | SEAHAWKS 5, OWLS 0

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POST GAME INTERVIEW - Brandon Grover, Brayden Clark, Eric Cirella '05

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NOTEWORTHY

• Brayden Clark (W, 11-2) extends two of his Seahawk pitching records with his 11th victory of the season and 32nd career win.
• Brandon Grover went 3-for-4 with four runs scored including a home run.
• The Seahawks win their 18th consecutive game to establish a new program record. The 2023 squad had won 17 straight and also recorded a 25-game unbeaten string (seven straight wins preceded a tie, and then 17 more wins in a row).
• Clark retired the first 10 Owls he faced before hitting a batter in the fourth. Keene State did not get its first base hit until the fifth inning.
• Today's game was delayed three times before the original 10:00 a.m. start (noon, 1 p.m., 1:30 p.m.). After Brayden Clark threw his first pitch at 1:27 p.m., the final out was recorded 1 hour and 51 minutes later.

ON DECK
Salve Regina plays the winner of Game 2 (Penn St. Harrisburg v. The College of New Jersey) in Saturday's 1:30 p.m. start (Game 4). The winner of Game 4 advances to Sunday's championship round while the loser plays again immediately in a Game 5 elimination contest.