GAME ONE RECAP (SALVE REGINA 12, ENDICOTT 2)

NEWPORT, R.I. – The first-seeded Salve Regina baseball team defeated second-seeded Endicott in game two of the Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) Championship Series (best-of-three) by an 8-2 score on Friday evening to capture its ninth conference title in program history. Earlier in the day, the Seahawks beat Endicott, 12-2, in game one.

Cory Poplawski (Syracuse, N.Y.) went the distance for Salve Regina, as the senior starter scattered six hits, and allowed just two runs (both earned), alongside no walks, and four strikeouts. Poplawski is now 5-3 overall on the year.

Meanwhile, Nick Quattro (Canton, Conn.) took the loss (7-4) on 4 2/3 innings, eight hits, eight runs (three earned), three walks, and five strikeouts.

Tied 0-0 in the second, Salve Regina jumped out to a 5-0 lead highlighted by an Alex Perry (North Attleboro, Mass.) two-run single to left-center and maintained that advantage the rest of the way.

Endicott's senior class consisting Adam Blake (Mansfield, Mass.), Dan Kelly (Stoneham, Mass.), Cam Farnham (Andover, Mass.), Corbin Hyde (Lewiston, Maine), Mike Kochiss (Fairfield, Conn.), Steve Morganelli (Milford, Mass.), Colby Morris (Newburyport, Mass.), Luke Morse (Manchester, Conn.), Eric Nagle (Manchester, Conn.), Quattro, and Anthony Serina (Portsmouth, R.I.) continued and expanded upon the baseball program's history of excellence. All told, the 2017 senior class produced a 114-67 overall record (.630), a 49-15 conference record (.767), and won a CCC Championship in 2014 in addition to advancing to the NCAA Regional Finals in the same year.

BEYOND THE BOX SCORE

• Hyde hit a solo homer in the fifth (third career), while Brad Rebello (Bellingham, Mass.) notched an RBI single up the middle in the eighth to account for Endicott's scoring.
• Morris tossed 2 1/3 shutout innings out of the pen (four hits, no walks, no strikeouts).

FOR THE FOES

• Salve Regina has now won CCC titles in following years: 1985, 1991-1994, 2001, 2005, 2016, and 2017.
• The Seahawks are 19-3 at home this season (Brother Michael Reynolds Field).
• Perry went 2-for-3 with three RBI to guide Salve Regina offensively.
• Hunter Sleeper (Arlington, Mass.) was 2-for-3 with two runs scored and three RBI.

WHAT'S NEXT

No. 20/23 Salve Regina (34-10) will represent the conference in the NCAA Tournament next week. Endicott sees its 2017 season come to a close at 25-19 overall.

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(Photo Credit - David Le '10)