UNION, N.J. (Saturday, May 24, 2025) -- Salve Regina University baseball came up short in its bid to return to the College World Series as Kean University took a 5-2 final in the deciding game on Saturday afternoon at Jim Hynes Stadium.
Kean (40-9) will face a yet to be determined opponent on Friday in Eastlake, Ohio. This will be their first appearance at the finals site since 2013. Salve Regina's (36-9) season ends with its second straight Super Regional appearance.
GAME 2 - SALVE REGINA 5, KEAN 4 - RECAP
The Cougars didn't waste any time, and jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the top of the first.
Kyle Adorno got aboard with a four-pitch walk and
Tyler Stone followed that with a single.
Dan Reistle found a hole and pushed across the game's first run. Stone made it 2-0 after crossing the plate on a balk and
Brett Hilsheimer rounded out the scoring with a single.
The Seahawks put up two in the same frame as the first four batters registered hits. Last year's Elite 90 winner,
Brandon Grover, pulled an 0-1 pitch through the right side before
Evan O'Rourke drove him in from first with a double to right center.
Christian Homa attacked a 3-1 pitch and singled up the middle to score O'Rourke.
Shane Williams singled through the right side and
Wil McCarthy advanced both Homa and Williams with a sacrifice bunt. The promising offense fizzled when Cougar starter
Christian Pareja was able to work out of the early jam with a double play.Â
The score would remain that way until the eighth inning when Kean added some insurance. It was John Chiusano's turn to be hit-by-a-pitch and
Justin Teixeira and
Nick Sellari followed with singles to load the bases with no outs. After a pitching change, Masino and Adorno each collected sacrifices to give Kean a 5-2 advantage.
Cal Chase entered in the bottom of the ninth and nailed down the save with three ground outs. Salve Regina's last hit came off the bat of Homa in the home sixth and he was erased on a 4-6-3 double play. O'Rourke was the last Seahawk to reach base on a two-out walk in the eighth, now trailing 5-2.
Salve Regina pitchers -- starter
Andrew Wertz followed by relievers
James Tobin,
Joe DeRienzo, and
Nolan Romanowski -- escaped further damage by stranding 10 Cougars on the base paths.
INSIDE THE MATCHUP
Final: Kean 5, Salve Regina 2
Records: Salve Regina (36-9), Kean (40-9)
History: Cougars win the rubber match of the first three-game series with the Seahawks.
SUMMARY
- T1 - Dan Reistle singled through the right side, RBI (3-2); Tyler Stone advanced to third; Kyle Adorno scored. D. Reistle advanced to second on a balk; T. Stone scored on a balk. Brett Hilsheimer singled up the middle, RBI (1-2); D. Reistle scored. | COUGARS 3, SEAHAWKS 0
- B1 -Evan O'Rourke doubled to right center, RBI (3-1); Brandon Grover scored. Christian Homa singled up the middle, RBI (3-1); E. O'Rourke scored. | COUGARS 3, SEAHAWKS 2
- T8 - Dominic Masino flied out to rf, SF, RBI (0-0); Justin Teixeira advanced to third; John Chiusano scored. Kyle Adorno grounded out to p, SAC, RBI (0-0); Nick Sellari advanced to second; J. Teixeira scored. | COUGARS 5, SEAHAWKS 2
NOTEWORTHY
- Salve Regina outhit Kean in both Saturday games (9-7 and 8-7).
- Evan O'Rourke (2), Christian Homa (2), and Shane Williams (2) had multiple hits for the Seahawks.
- Salve Regina pitchers -- starter Andrew Wertz followed by relievers James Tobin, Joe DeRienzo, and Nolan Romanowski -- escaped further damage by stranding 10 Cougars on the base paths.
- 2025 marked the third straight season the Seahawks have finished with 36 or more wins and fourth time overall (first reached in 2017).
- 2025 was also the first full season an Eric Cirella '05- led squad had single-digit defeats.
- The season was highlighted by a program-record 20-game win streak and a first-ever NEWMAC championship.
ON DECK
Seahawks are eliminated with the 5-2 loss and will return to action in Spring 2026. Kean will face a yet to be determined opponent on Friday in Eastlake, Ohio. This will be their first appearance at the finals site since 2013.
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