April 9, 2008

BULLDOGS RALLY IN NINTH AGAIN TO FORCE EXTRA INNINGS, TOP STONEHILL, 7-5, IN 12

Boxscore

EASTON, Mass. -- For the second consecutive day, the Bryant University baseball team rallied for a late-inning comeback to knock off Stonehill College, this time topping the Skyhawks, 7-5, in 12 innings at Lou Gorman Field Wednesday afternoon.

The Skyhawks (14-12, 6-6) scored single runs in the first and third frames, holding on to a 2-0 lead entering the top of the ninth.

But with Jeff Vigurs (South Windor, Conn.) and Taylor Ferguson (Charlton, Mass.) on board via a walk and single down the right field line, Stonehill reliever Brendan Shepard let up a pair of RBI singles to Mark Dondero (Medfield, Mass.) and Jason Alexander (Simsbury, Conn.) to tie the score at 2-2. The Bulldogs (21-12, 11-3) stayed hot into the tenth, scoring three runs off two hits, highlighted by a two-run double to left centerfield off the bat of Ferguson.

But Stonehill answered the Bryant bats in the bottom of the inning, getting an RBI single from Dave Fradette and a two-run, two-out single from Angelo Bruno to even the game again, 5-5.

Reliver Alex McCormick shut the Bulldogs down in the top of the eleventh, striking out two-of-three batters faced. The home side threatened in the its half of the frame, putting a man on first with no outs. And on a Mitch Davis single to center, Nate Weber -- who reached base after drawing a walk -- attempted to go corner to corner, only to be gunned down by the arm of Bulldog centerfielder Nick Campbell (Raynham, Mass.).

But in the top of the twelfth, Bryant capitalized. Vigurs again got the rally going, leading off the inning with a single through the right side, his only hit of the day. Ferguson drove in Vigurs, scoring the go-ahead run before Dylan Stone (Portsmouth, RI) provided an insurance run with an RBI single of his own.

Both teams got terrific starting pitching, with freshman Shane Penzone going 7.2 innings for Stonehill and Dan Lozeau (Pelham, NH) tossing 7.0 for Bryant. But it was rookie John Michael Ryan (Worcester, Mass.) who picked up the win in the 12-inning affair, his second career victory as well as his second in as many nights.

Davis went 3-for-5 from his leadoff spot for Stonehill, which also got a 2-for-4, three RBI performance from Fradette. For Bryant, the combination of Ferguson and Campbell went 6-for-11 with four runs scored and four RBI.

Stonehill and the Bulldogs will wrap up their three game series on Thursday when the two teams face off at 3:30 p.m. on Lou Gorman Field.