April 8, 2008
LATE-INNING HEROICS PUSH BRYANT PAST STONEHILL IN
NINTH, 5-4, TUESDAY AFTERNOON
|
Senior captain Jason
Alexander
scored the winning run in the
bottom of the ninth to complete
the Bulldogs' 5-4 comeback win.
|
Boxscore
SMITHFIELD, RI. - With a three-hit, two-RBI day, sophomore
catcher Jeff Vigurs (South Windor, Conn.) led the
Bryant University baseball team to a ninth-inning comeback, 5-4,
over Northeast-10 Conference opponent Stonehill College Tuesday
afternoon at the Bryant Baseball Complex.
Down, 4-1 with two out in the bottom of the eighth, Vigurs
ripped a single down the left field line to score teammates
Jason Alexander (Simsbury, Conn.) and
Dylan Stone (Portsmouth, RI) and bring the
Bulldogs (20-12, 10-3 NE-10) to within one run entering the final
frame.
A 1-2-3 ninth from rookie reliever John Michael Ryan
(Worcester, Mass.) threw the momentum to the home team for
good, despite having just three outs of life remaining, catching
the visiting Skyhawks (14-11, 6-5) on their heels with a 4-3 lead.
Justin Perry got a quick groundout from Taylor Ferguson
(Charlton, Mass.) to lead off the bottom of the ninth,
only to give up a double to Mark Dondero (Medfield,
Mass.) that fell into left centerfield.
A consequent walk to pitch hitter Tim Norton
(Barnstable, Mass.) followed by a hit batsman (Alexander)
loaded the bases for sophomore first baseman Stone, whose infield
hit to short brought Dondero in to score, knotting the game at 4-4
with just one out in the ninth.
With the bases still loaded, Bryant sent sophomore slugger
Nick Campbell (Raynham, Mass.) to the plate.
A failed suicide squeeze on the first pitch of the at bat gave
Stonehill its second out, while moving Alexander and Stone each 90
feet closer to home. And with one strike against him, Campbell
returned to the batter's box to try for the win one more time.
But when shortstop Justin Griffin gloved what appeared to be an
easy fielder's choice ball, extra innings seemed imminent - until
an off-balance throw to first hit the dirt, skipping past
Stonehill's first baseman. The error allowed Alexander to trot
across home plate, completing Bryant's 5-4 come-from-behind win.
But it was Stonehill who had the early and lengthy lead. The
Skyhawks scored twice in the third frame, when a Javier Guzman
double to right field plated Mitch Davis and Rob Von Stein for the
2-0 advantage.
Stonehill would get score again in the top of the seventh,
taking Bulldog starter Kevin Cobb (Acton, Mass.)
for two more off a Matt Orr two-RBI single to left field.
Down 4-0, the Bulldogs began to mount their comeback in the
bottom of the seventh. They chipped away one run when Skyhawk
starter Nick Peters beaned three batters in the frame, including
back-to-back hits of Pat McKenna (Orange, Conn.)
and Ferguson - the latter with the bases loaded to score
Pat O'Connor (Mattapoisett, Mass.) from third.
As the momentum flipped dugouts, the Bulldogs would finally
complete the comeback for their 20th win of the season.
Ryan earned his first win of the year, allowing just one hit in
211 innings pitched, while striking out three. Perry took the loss
for Stonehill, giving up three runs off four hits in one inning of
work and moving to 1-4 on the season.
Vigurs finished the day 3-for-4 from the plate with a pair of
RBI, while Stone chipped in an RBI and a run scored as well to go
2-for-4 on the outing.
Guzman led the Skyhawks with a 2-for-4 day and two RBI with Orr
getting the remaining two RBI on 1-for-4 hitting.
The Bulldogs wrap up the season-series with Stonehill Wednesday
and Thursday, April 9-10 in Easton, Mass. First pitch for both
games is 3:30 p.m.
--
Score by
Innings
R H E
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Stonehill College... 002 000 200 - 4 6 2
Bryant University... 000 000 122 - 5 6 0
Win - Ryan (1-0). Loss - Perry (1-4). Save - None.
