SKAGERLIND'S WALK-OFF BLAST EARNS BRYANT SPLIT IN NEC DOUBLE-HEADER

Bryant Defeats NEC Rival 3-2 in 10 innings in Opening Game Before Falling in Nightcap

GAME 1 BOX SCORE

GAME 2 BOX SCORE

SMITHFIELD, RI - Sophomore first baseman Jamie Skagerlind (Holden, Mass.) belted a walk-off solo home run down the right field line in the bottom of the tenth inning to help earn the Bryant baseball team a split over visiting Central Connecticut State in an NEC double-header Saturday afternoon. Bryant (11-15, 3-3 NEC) defeated CCSU (10-9, 6-4 NEC) 3-2 in the first game before falling in the nightcap, 5-1. The two teams will meet for another double-header on Sunday afternoon to complete the four-game series.

The first game featured an outstanding pitcher's duel between Bryant senior Brent Almeida (Fairhaven, Mass.) and CCSU's Jason Foster. Almeida cruised through seven innings, allowing just two hits without walking a batter while striking out three. Foster would keep the Blue Devils close, tossing seven innings and allowing two runs on three hits while striking out six.

Bryant struck first in the bottom of the first frame after getting a leadoff double from freshman left fielder Kevin Brown (Northborough, Mass.). Brown would move over to third on a sacrifice bunt by Colin Dougherty (Lowell, Mass.) before coming home on a sacrifice fly to center field by senior catcher Jeff Vigurs (South Windsor, Conn.).

The Bulldogs added on to their lead in the fifth, getting a leadoff double down the left field line from Skagerlind. Junior third basemen Tim Norton (Barnstable, Mass.) would then reach on an error to put men on the corners with no one out. Freshmen designated hitter Adam Claire (Litchfield, Conn.) would bring home Skagerlind on a sacrifice fly to right, bringing the Bryant lead to 2-0.

Almeida would keep the CCSU bats quiet for all seven of his innings, not allowing a CCSU runner to reach second base. The senior right-hander retired 12 in a row after a Sean Allaire single in the top of the first. Junior set-up man John Michael Ryan (Worcester, Mass.) pitched a scoreless eighth to send the Bulldogs into the ninth holding a 2-0 advantage.

Central Connecticut would not go down quietly, scoring two runs off Bryant closer Mark Andrews (Hillsborough, N.J.) in the top of the ninth to tie the game. Central Connecticut lead-off man Sean Miller-Jones got things started for the Blue Devils working a walk, and would move over to second on a base hit through the right side by Allaire. A sacrifice bunt moved both runners up a base, and with one out CCSU left fielder Pat Epps lined a single to center field plating both runs.

After Bryant went down in order in the bottom of the ninth, CCSU threatened to take its first lead of the day in the first extra frame, but Andrews was able to escape any serious trouble by striking out Danny Hickey. On the same pitch, Vigurs picked CCSU pinch runner Tyler Casserta off of first base, setting up Skagerlind's heroics in the bottom of the tenth.

Skagerlind took CCSU reliever Donny White's first offering of the inning and sent a towering blast over the right field fence. It was the sophomore's first round tripper of the season, and it could not have come at a more opportune time.

CCSU would even things up in Game 2 of the double header, beating Bryant 5-1 behind a complete-game pitching performance from southpaw Dave Krasnowiecki. The junior from nearby Cranston, RI, would scatter seven hits while allowing just the one run in a 108 pitch effort, improving his record on the year to 3-1. Offensively the Blue Devils were sparked by a three-run blast from right fielder Normand Gosselin in the top of the second inning.

Nick Campbell (Raynham, Mass.) and Zackary Cianciolo (Prospect, Conn.) would each deliver two hits in the game for Bryant, with Campbell having the lone RBI in the game for the black and gold. Peter Kelich (Jackson, N.J.) suffered his first loss of the season (4-1), allowing five runs on nine hits in three innings of work.

Bryant and CCSU return to the Bryant Baseball Complex for a double-header Sunday afternoon. First pitch is set for 12pm.