NEWPORT, R.I. (taken from an SRU press release) -- Brandeis junior right fielder Cameron Shaw (E. Setauket, N.Y./Ward Melville) hit his first collegiate home run today, but it wasn't enough as the Judges fell to Salve Regina University, 8-3, in a non-conference baseball game today. Brandeis falls to 13-17 with the loss, while SRU improves to 23-11.
Shaw's home run was a blast to left field in the eighth inning. Not only was it his first, it was Brandeis's first round-tripper 30 games into the season.
Salve Regina freshman lefty Cole Tretter (East Lyme, Conn.) pitched five shutout innings with six strikeouts and sophomore left fielder Ryan Sweenor (South Kingstown, R.I.) blasted a three-run homerun as the Seahawks won their sixth straight game.
Tretter allowed just three hits while walking three as the rookie saw his season record improve to 4-0. Tretter gave way to a Seahawk bullpen that surrendered three runs, two earned, on just three hits and three walks over the final four innings.
Salve Regina took an 1-0 lead after their first at bat in the bottom of the first as junior third baseman Joe Haley(North Kingstown, R.I.) delivered a two-out, RBI single to left center that scored senior Dominic Di Sano(Central Falls, R.I.) from second base.
With Tretter shutting down the Judges lineup through five innings, the Seahawks offense gave their starter some breathing room with a five-run bottom of the fourth. After Haley walked and junior second baseman Sean Becker (Richmond, Va.) doubled to put runners on second and third, Sweenor sent a towering shot over the left field fence to put the Salve Regina ahead 4-0. A sacrifice fly to right by junior shortstop Daniel Donohue(Westbury, N.Y.) that plated senior Salvatore Cumella (Ridgefield, N.J.) from third capped off the four-run rally in the fourth.
Salve Regina tacked on another run in the bottom of the sixth on a RBI groundout by sophomore centerfielder Ryan Kelly (Waldwick, N.J.) before Brandeis cut into their 7-0 deficit with a RBI groundout of their own off the bat of sophomore catcher Connor Doyle (Avon, Conn./Avon Old Farms) that brought home sophomore Sam Miller (Sudbury, Mass./Lincoln Sudbury) in the top of the seventh. Salve Regina's Becker would get the run right back in the bottom half of the seventh with a RBI single to right.
Brandeis scored singular runs in the top of the eighth and ninth innings but were unable to get consistent offensive production off the Seahawks bullpen. In the top of the eighth, came Shaw's blast and in the ninth, sophomore third baseman Greg Heineman (Wilbraham, Mass./Minnechaug Regional) hit a single up the middle to plate freshman Ryan Tettemer (Westfield, Mass./Suffield Acad.) from second base.
Brandeis senior starter Brian Ing (Sandwich, Mass./Sandwich) suffered the loss, falling to 2-2 on the season. The Judges return to action on Sunday afternoon with a 12 p.m. doubleheader at Trinity (Conn.).