April 10, 2008
WALK-OFF HOME RUN LIFTS SKYHAWKS OVER BULLDOGS, 3-2, AS BRYANT
CAN'T COMPLETE THIRD-STRAIGHT LATE-INNING RALLY
Boxscore
Easton, Mass. - Stonehill College sophomore
Ryan Healey blasted a full-count pitch deep over the right field
fence with one out in the bottom of the ninth Thursday afternoon,
lifting the Skyhawks to a dramatic 3-2 win over the Bryant
University baseball team at Lou Gorman Field.
The homer saved the Skyhawks (15-12, 7-5 Northeast-10) from a
third-straight loss at the hands of the Bulldogs (21-13, 10-4), who
put together ninth-inning rallies in each of the last two games to
take the first two of the three-contest series.
Thursday looked like a repeat of the others, as Stonehill held a
2-1 lead heading into the top of the ninth. For the third-straight
day, sophomore catcher Jeff Vigurs (South Windor,
Conn.) led off the decisive inning for Bryant, taking
Skyhawk starter Mat Lindenmayer's offering down the right
field line for a double, chasing the hurler from the game and
ending his complete-game bid.
Reliever Matt Giusti followed suite with an infield hit to
Pat McKenna (Orange, Conn.), adding a throwing
error to the play to move the Bulldog shortstop to second
and allow Vigurs to score and tie the game at 2-2.
A successful Taylor Ferguson (Charlton, Mass.)
bunt put runners on the corners for Mark Dondero
(Medfield Mass.) with no outs, but the Skyhawks were
able to get catch McKenna in a run down and tag him out at home.
Giusti got the final two batters of the inning without anymore
damage.
But in the bottom of the ninth with one out, Bryant starter
Eric Loh (Old Greenwich, Conn.), who left up two
unearned runs in the first, gave Healy a 3-2 pitch -- just his 89th
of the game -- that the sophomore turned into his second
homer of the season.
Guisti (3-2) got the win in relief for the Skyhawks, while Loh
(5-2), who went 8.1 innings and struck out seven, took the loss for
the Bulldogs.
Dave Fradette went 2-for-3 with an RBI for Stonehill, while
Healey drove in the other two runs.
The Bulldogs continue their roadtrip Friday, April 11 when they
travel to C.W. Post for a 2:00 contest.
