CENTER VALLEY, Pa- Nationally fourth-ranked Salve Regina University baseball scored a 10-7 win over DeSales University in the winners' bracket game of the NCAA Division III Championship regional hosted by the Bulldogs at Weiland Park in Center Valley, Pennsylvania, on Saturday afternoon.
The Seahawks (38-6) advance to their fourth consecutive regional final and can clinch their third straight regional championship with a win tomorrow. The Bulldogs (34-13) face a must-win game against Ramapo College this evening after the Roadrunners survived their first elimination game earlier Saturday with a 14-9 win over Marymount University. The winner between the Bulldogs and Roadrunners will face Salve Regina on Sunday at 11 a.m.
Sophomore starter
Nolan Romanowski (Wynantskill, N.Y.) got his program record-matching 11th win in a season (11-1), tying
Brayden Clark (Beverly, Mass.) who had held the mark by himself for 366 days. Romanowski's offense built an 8-0 lead after a
Brady Smolinski (North Grafton, Mass.) sacrifice fly in the first plated
Evan O'Rourke (Arlington, Mass.) with a single run. O'Rourke had hustled out an infield single before a double by
Shane Williams (Georgetown, Mass.) and a walk to
Dylan Cimini (Stonington, Conn.).
The Seahawks erupted for seven in the second.
Danny Rogers (New Canaan, Conn.) doubled to right center to bring
Elliot Hamilton (Glastonbury, Conn.) and
Grady Schopps (Fairfield, Conn.). O'Rourke (single) and Williams (double) had RBI basehits before Cimini lifted a sac fly to right.
Jake Harring (Portsmouth, N.H.) singled to center field to score Smolinski from second and later scored the seventh run of the frame on a wild pitch.
With two outs in the Bulldog fourth,
Dominic Berretta (Chalfont, Pa.) took a first pitch over the fence in left center for a two-run homer that also scored
Jacob Rivera (Bethlehem, Pa.) who had singled with one out. Romanowski hit
Owen Fischl (Allentown, Pa.) to start the sixth.
Kevin Brace (North Wales, Pa.) followed with a double.
The Seahawk bats were quieted by
Danny Trentacosta (Marlboro, N.J.) who put zeroes on the board for three straight frames. Williams led off the Salve Regina sixth with a single to right field and moved to second on a ground out to first. Trentacosta walked Smolinski and was lifted for
Nick Wolf (Philadelphia, Pa.). Harring greeted the Bulldog reliever with a well-placed bloop double down the left field line. Williams read it well and raced home with the ninth Seahawk run. Hamilton's sac fly drove in Smolinski for a 10-3 lead.
DeSales scored a pair in the seventh (one unearned) and then single runs in the eighth and ninth before a line out to Rogers in center field ended it with the bases loaded as
Ethan Santerre (Bristol, R.I.) earned his first career save.
About the NEWMAC
The NEWMAC is an association of 13 selective academic institutions: Babson College, Clark University, U.S Coast Guard Academy, Emerson College, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Mount Holyoke College, Saint Anselm College (beginning reclassification process with NCAA in 2027-28), Salve Regina University, Smith College, Springfield College, Wellesley College, Wheaton College, and Worcester Polytechnic Institute, that are committed to providing high quality competitive athletic opportunities for student-athletes within an educational and respectful environment that embodies the NCAA Division III Philosophy. The conference also partners with eight Associate Members: Brandeis University (Women's Lacrosse, 2026-2027), New York University (Men's Volleyball, 2026-2027), Norwich University (Football), Simmons College (Rowing), SUNY Maritime College (Football), SUNY New Paltz (Men's Volleyball, 2026-2027), U.S. Merchant Marine Academy (Football), and Vassar College (Men's Volleyball, 2026-2027), while sponsoring 21 sports.