Box Score The baseball team dropped a 4-3 decision against Salve Regina University in a non-conference contest at Reynolds Field on Wednesday afternoon. The Wildcats held a 3-1 lead into the bottom of the seventh before a three-run homerun by Alex Perry gave the Seahawks a lead they wouldn't look back on.
Juniors Tom Elkow (Morganville, N.J.) and Jordan Pilarski (Garnet Valley, Pa.) cracked two hits each and classmate Andrew Hunton (Monroe, N.Y.) hit a solo homer in the setback for the Wildcats while Perry knocked in all four runs for SRU.
Hunton's homerun to deep centerfield started the scoring for the afternoon before a fourth inning RBI groundout by Elkow and a sacrifice fly by senior Rob Bocchetti (East Meadow, N.Y.) extended the Wildcat lead to 3-0 after three and a half. Senior James Harlow (Bristol, Conn.) kept Salve off balance in three innings of work, allowing just one hit and striking out four.
The Seahawks started their comeback in the fifth when Perry connected for a single scoring Christian Vargas. Perry next stood in the batter's box in the 7th when he stroked a one out homerun over the fence to give his team a 4-3 lead.
JWU had a lone chance to tie things up when Elkow singled and stole second with two outs in the eighth but pitcher Matt Wood slammed the door on the Wildcats to help secure the win.
With the loss Johnson & Wales is now 17-12 on the year while Salve improves to 17-14 for the season. The Wildcats will return to action on Thursday, April 23rd when they host the Suffolk Rams in a Great Northeast Athletic Conference Final Four matchup beginning at 6:00 p.m.
