SMITHFIELD, R.I. – Despite forging an impressive comeback with four runs in the top of the ninth in the opener, the Bryant University baseball team dropped both ends of a doubleheader to West Virginia Tuesday afternoon as the Bulldogs fell, 7-6 and 6-1 at Hawley Field.

In the first game, Junior Jamie Skagerlind (Holden, Mass.) went 2-for-4 at the plate with an RBI for the Bulldogs while David O'Brien (Whitman, Mass.) took the loss as the starter, allowing five earned runs in 4.0 innings while striking out five. Senior Matt Griswold (Berlin, Conn.) looked strong in 4.0 innings of relief as the veteran limited the Mountaineers to five hits for one run behind three strikeouts.

Down by four in the top of the ninth, Dan Muscatello (Hopkinton, Mass.) kicked off the comeback effort with a single through the right side and Skagerlind followed with an RBI double to trim the Mountaineer lead to three, 7-3. The Bulldogs continued to keep runners on the base path and it paid off as the West Virginia pitchers hit three batters in the inning, all leading to runs to cut the lead to one but it would not be enough as the visitors left the bases loaded to come up just short,7-6.

The Mountaineers set the tone early with three runs in the opening frame and added one more in the second and two in the fifth for the 6-0 advantage while starter Marshal Thompson limited the Bulldogs to just one hit through the first six.

Bryant turned it around in the seventh, however, as Tim Norton (Barnstable, Mass.) drove in two with an RBI double to left but the home side came right back in the eighth with another run on an RBI double by Grant Buckner for the five-run advantage.

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In the second game, the Mountaineers opened with a pair of unearned runs in the first and then added another in the next frame on an RBI single by Dan DiBartolomeo for the 3-0 lead.

Bryant picked up its only run in the game in the third as Jordan English (Windsor Locks, Conn.) led off the inning with a walk. Joseph Carcone (New Hartford, N.Y.) followed by reaching on an error, which moved English to third and set up Kevin Brown (Northborough, Mass.) with a sacrifice fly to put the visitors on the board.

West Virginia went on to add two more in the fifth and another in the eighth to secure the 6-1 victory and two-game sweep.

Corey Walter pitched 8.0 strong innings on the mound for the home side, limiting the Bulldogs to four hits with three strikeouts.

The Black and Gold next return to the diamond on Wednesday, March 16 when they host Boston College in their home-opener.