Salve Regina University

NEWPORT, R.I. (May 22, 2026 -- NCAA Super Regional) -- In its first-ever inning hosting an NCAA postseason contest, Salve Regina University baseball took a 5-0 lead on one hit, a bunt single by sophomore shortstop Grady Schopps (Fairfield, Conn.), but the Endicott College squad settled down and scored nine unanswered runs before finishing with a 9-7 result in Game 1 of the Super Regional at Reynolds Field in Newport, Rhode Island, on Friday afternoon.

Cade Bernardo (Glenmont, N.Y.) struck the biggest blow with a fifth-inning grand slam off Seahawk starter Luis Ortiz Ramirez (Boston, Mass.) that put the Gulls (39-10) ahead for the first time.

After Ortiz Ramirez got a 1-2-3 top of the first, Endicott got in the hole early when starter Brady Stuart (Hudson, Mass.) tossed just four pitches, including hitting leadoff batter Danny Rogers (New Canaan, Conn.), before leaving with an injury. Jeremy Krendel (Framingham, Mass.) came in emergency relief and struggled with his control (four wild pitches) but did not allow an earned run over his four innings of work.

With a 3-2 count, two outs and the bases loaded, Bernardo fouled off four successive pitches from Ortiz Ramirez before launching the decisive blast to left field.

Endicott scored three more runs in the top of the eighth with catcher James Benestad (Northborough, Mass.) driving in one on a single to shortstop and TJ Liponis (Scarborough, Maine) knocking in two with a single to left field. Schopps, who had three singles to match Liponis with game-high honors, singled in Elliot Hamilton (Glastonbury, Conn.) in the bottom of the eighth for Salve Regina (39-7) after six scoreless frames. Shea Donovan (Milton, Mass.) had his second successful pinch-hit appearance (last at bat had been a game-tying double in bottom of ninth against MIT in the NEWMAC Championships on May 10) with a single to center field. Rogers' fly ball to center brought Schopps home to cut the deficit to 9-7.

Kyan Bagshaw (Amherst, N.H.) closed out the final two innings with three strikeouts to earn his sixth save of the season.

Hamilton (2), Schopps (3), and Brady Smolinski (North Grafton, Mass.) had multiple hits for the Seahawks who produce nine base hits to just six for the Gulls.

Endicott will be the "home" team in Game 2 when the schools meet for the 72nd time in baseball with an 11 a.m. first pitch scheduled for Reynolds Field. If the Seahawks win, they'll return "home" for a decisive Game 3 which will follow 45 minutes after the conclusion of Game 2. The winner advances to the NCAA Division III Championships, with seven other Super Regional winners, beginning next week in Eastlake, Ohio.