Salve’s baseball team advances to NCAA DIII College World Series for first time in program history

Salve Regina’s baseball team has advanced to the NCAA DIII College World Series for the first time in program history. The team advanced on May 25 after defeating the Salisbury University Sea Gulls 14-12 in game two of the best-of-three Super Regional.

The Seahawks got out to an early lead on Saturday. Brandon Grover ’24 led off the game with a walk and was the first Seahawk to cross the plate when Christian Homa ’26 singled and advanced to second on a wild pitch. With additional offense from Evan O’Rourke ’26 and graduate students Wil McCarthy ’23 and Hunter Yaworksi, Salve Regina led 5-2 after the first inning.

Yaworski hit a three-run homer in the second inning, bringing Homa and Matt D’Amato ’23, current graduate student, to the plate with him. Two players from Salisbury University rounded the bases to make it an 8-3 game at the end of the second. In the third inning, Homa tripled and brought in O’Rourke and Brady Smolinski ’25. By the top of the fourth inning, Salve led 12-4.

The Sea Gulls were dominant in the fifth to tie the game, making up eight runs in one inning. In the ninth, D’Amato singled up the middle and Grover added a run for the Seahawks. The next at-bat brought Tyler Cannoe ’23, current graduate student, to the plate, who reached first on a fielding error. D’Amato advanced to third and Homa made it home to put Salve Regina ahead 14-12. However, with Salisbury as the home team, the Sea Gulls had the opportunity to walk it off in the bottom of the inning. Kyle Carozza ’26 took the mound to close it out for the second day in a row. Two put outs and a fly out to Michael Breen ’24 punched the Seahawks’ ticket to the NCAA College World Series.

In addition to Carozza, four Salve pitchers contributed to the win. Starter Sean Mulligan ’24 held Salisbury to five runs. Graduate student Tommy DelVecchio ’23, Andrew Wertz ’25 and Luis Ortiz ’27 entered in relief, with Ortiz being the pitcher of record.

“I think we showed a lot of resilience bouncing back from the eighth spot in the fifth inning and had a freshman go out there and put up a few zeros and kind of settle the game down,” said Eric Cirella ’05, coach of Salve’s baseball team. “Fortunately, we got some guys on in the ninth, and Grover scored the go ahead run. Just a great team, great atmosphere.”

The Seahawks credit the team culture, work ethic and years of strong alumni that have led the way for this season’s standout success in Salve’s first year in the New England Women’s and Men’s Athletic Conference.

The NCAA Division III College World Series will take place in Eastlake, Ohio from May 31- June 7. This is the first Seahawk team in program history to win an NCAA Regional, advance to and win a Super Regional and compete with the top eight teams in the country.