Smith College

GORHAM, ME - Brayden Davis hit his second grand slam in as many days to push #5 Rowan past host Southern Maine, 13-8, and give the Profs the NCAA Baseball Gorham Regional championship. Rowan will now move on to the NCAA Super Regionals and will host Randolph-Macon next weekend, May 22-23, in Glassboro.
 
It marks the fifth NCAA Regional Championship in the last six years for Rowan and the second consecutive.
 
Davis went 2-for-4 with six RBI with Damon Suriani and Mason Dorsey getting three hits each. Christian Rice (6-0) compiled a career-high 10 strikeouts in 5.1 innings to earn the victory. Charlie Russell, Dane Samartino, Jack Norton and Evan Brasberger all saw action out of the bullpen while Davis pitched for the first time this season and got the final three outs before the Profs' celebrated.
 
Rowan held a 6-0 lead going into the sixth inning, but Southern Maine rallied to cut the Profs' lead to 6-4. The Huskies closed to 6-5 in the seventh before the Profs exploded for six runs with four of them thanks to Davis' shot over the left field fence.
 
It was Davis' 14th homer of the year and the second career grand slam, after he hit his first in Sunday's win over USM.
 
Rowan took a 4-0 lead in the second inning, putting together four hits and taking advantage of two USM errors. Brett Chiesa and Mason Dorsey accounted for two of the runs with RBI singles.
 
The Profs added two in the fourth as Davis connected on a two-run double to score McCoach and Dorsey.
 
USM started its rally with four runs in the sixth inning and added one in the seventh to come within, 7-5, before McCoach and Suriani each drove in a run. The bases were loaded with Suriani, McCoach and Dorsey when Davis hit the grand slam, putting Rowan head 12-5.
 
Both teams each added another in the eighth, with McCoach driving in Chiesa to provide the Profs' final run.