KEENE, N.H. – Matt Massaro (Fairfield, Conn.) drove in a career-high five runs in support of six-shutout innings by Ben Bonavita (East Longmeadow, Mass.) for the Roger Williams University Baseball team as they rolled to a nonconference victory over Keene State College, 11-1 on Thursday afternoon at the Owl Athletic Complex. For the second-consecutive game, the RWU offense grabbed a first-inning advantage that they never relinquished on their way to their 13^th double-digit scoring output, the most in a single-season in program history, eclipsing their previous-best of 12 games plating 10-plus runs in both 2003 and 2021.
 
With the win, the Hawks improve to 19-3-1 on the season, and have claimed each of their last three matchups against the Owls. Keene State on the other hand, falls to 6-15 thus far this spring.
 
Bonavita was outstanding on the bump for Roger Williams, throwing six innings of scoreless baseball, allowing just three hits and two walks while striking out a trio of Owls to secure the win and improve to 2-1 on the season. Josh Beayon (Pittsford, Vt.) got the ball for the hosts and got shelled in two innings of work, allowing five runs, all earned, on six hits and a hit batsman to take the loss to drop to 0-5.
 
Hawk Highlights
Matt Massaro: 3-for-4, SB, 5 RBI, RS
Brandon Jenkins: 3-for-5, 2B, 2 RBI, RS
Matt Falvey: 2-for-3, SB, BB, 2 RBI, 2 RS
Owen Hibbard: 1-for-3, SB, BB, 2 RS
 
Ben Bonavita: (W, 2-1), 6.0 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 3 K
 
For The Opponents
Wyatt Daft: 2-for-2, 2B, SB, BB
Brendan Eaton: 2-for-4, RBI
Nathaniel Hudson: 1-for-1, RS
Joe Barter: 0-for-3, BB
 
Josh Beayon: (L, 0-5), IP, H, R, ER, BB, K
 
How It Happened
First pitch being pushed up to an earlier start time did not affect the Hawks one bit as they ready to go and jumped on the scoreboard right away on this Thursday afternoon. Tyler Cedeno (Maynard, Mass.) leadoff by getting hit by a pitch and Matt Massaro (Fairfield, Conn.) followed with an infield single before Brandon Jenkins (East Bridgewater, Mass.) brought them both home with a double to right and just like that, the visitors held a 2-0 advantage.
 
Keene State would threaten by loading the bases with one out against Ben Bonavita (East Longmeadow, Mass.) in the bottom half, but he escaped the jam by inducing a double play, and the offense went right back to work in the second. Owen Hibbard (Roxbury, Conn.) got things started with a single and promptly stole second. Mike Masino (Bayville, N.J.) followed suit with a bunt single and a steal and then Matt Falvey (Walpole, Mass.) made it three in a row as he beat the play on a squeeze bunt and swiped second on a first-and-third double steal play that scored a run. A couple batters later, Massaro brought him home with a sacrifice fly and the Hawks lead was 5-0.
 
A Christopher Flynn (Randolph, N.J.) SAC fly added some insurance in the fifth and a two-run single by Massaro in the sixth extended the advantage, but they really put things out of reach in the seventh. Bonavita, who was the designated hitter as well as the starting pitcher on this day, got plunked leading off the inning and advanced on a throwing error. Back-to-back walks drawn by Hibbard and Masino loaded the bases and Falvey brought in a run with a sacrifice fly. Another free pass, this one drawn by Cedeno refilled the bags for Massaro again and he came through shooting his second two-run single in as many innings into left to make the score 11-0 guests.
 
The hosts did manage to get one back in the eighth by way of a Brendon Eaton RBI groundout but that was all as the freshman trio of Lucas Lariviere (Cumberland, R.I.), Tommy Turnbach (Brick, N.J.), and Dom DeFeo (Kennebunk, Maine) entered and pitched the seventh, eighth, and ninth innings respectively to lock down the Roger Williams victory, 11-1.
 
Coach's Corner
Ben pitched great for six innings for us today, he really did a good job keeping Keene State off the basepaths and he made some big pitches when he needed them. We have been preaching no free passes and to make teams earn every 90 they get, and he did well executing that. The bullpen came in and pitched well giving up one run in garbage time in the eighth.
 
Offensively, we swung it well. We also put a ton of pressure on the Owls with bunts, squeezes, and steals. We had a gameplan going into the game and we stuck to it. 
 
Defensively, we played clean and spun so big double plays when Keene State was threatening to get out of some tough jams.
 
All in all, it was a good day to be a Hawk! Now onto WNE!
 
What's Next
Roger Williams gets back to conference play when they travel to Springfield to play Western New England University on Saturday for a twin bill beginning at noon.