Baseball
April 6, 2008
BRYANT SWEEPS SUNDAY DOUBLEHEADER OVER SAINT ANSELM, 2-1 AND 4-1
SMITHFIELD, RI. - The Bryant University baseball team avenged its series-opening loss to Saint Anselm College Sunday, sweeping an afternoon doubleheader, 2-1 and 4-1 at the Bryant Baseball Complex.
Freshman David O'Brien (Whitman, Mass.) pitched 7.1 innings of three-hit ball in Game One, allowing one unearned run while striking out two to get Bryant (19-12, 9-3) a win and move to 4-0 from the hill on the year.
The Hawks' (7-17, 3-9) lone run in the opener came in the top of the eighth, when Ben Gunn singled to lead off the inning, only to score on a Bulldog error two batters later. But the sole run would fall just short, as the Bulldogs took single runs of their own in the third and fifth.
A Nick Campbell (Raynham, Mass.) single down the left field line scored Jason Alexander (Simsbury, Conn.) - who went 2-for-4 in the game - to get on the board in the bottom of the third frame, before Campbell himself scored in the fifth for the 2-0 lead. The sophomore centerfielder laid down a bunt with two outs in the frame, stealing second and scoring on a Pat O'Connor (Mattapoisett, Mass.) double to left a batter later.
Right fielder Taylor Ferguson (Charlton, Mass.) joined Alexander and Campbell with multiple hits in Game One, going 2-for-3 from the plate. The Bulldogs mustered up 10 hits - nine of them off Hawks' starter Tim Ryan, who took the loss in six innings pitched.
Sophomore Eric Polvani (Medfield, Mass.) earned his first of two saves on the day, tossing a perfect 1-2-3 ninth with one strikeout.
In the second game, the Bulldogs took a 2-0 lead with single tallies in the top of the first and second innings, as both Campbell and Ferguson took advantage of one of five Saint Anselm errors in the nightcap.
The Hawks cut the deficit in half in the fourth, when an RBI single from Tim Murphy scored Matt Stone from second.
But the Bulldogs would keep Saint Anselm off the board for the remainder of the game while scoring two insurance runs in the top of the ninth to seal the Game Two victory.
Ferguson went 3-for-4 in the Bulldogs' nine-hit effort, scoring twice with one RBI. Campbell also pitched in a multi-hit effort, going 2-for-4 again with a run scored. Murphy had two hits of his own in the game for the Hawks, while Dave Wirkus chipped in a pair as well.
Brent Almeida (Fairhaven, Mass.) earned his first win of the season, moving to 2-1, allowing seven hits and one run in 6.1 innings of work. Almeida struck out seven without allowing a walk. Kyle Lavin took the Game Two loss for Saint Anselm, allowing two runs - neither earned - in eight innings with a pair of walks.
Polvani threw a one-hit ninth in the second contest for his sixth save of the season, second of the day.
On the two-game set, Ferguson led Bryant hitting .714 (5-of-7), with two runs, a double, an RBI and a stolen base. Campbell hit .500 (4-of-8), with two runs a double and an RBI as well, stealing two bases and drawing one walk.
The Bulldogs stay home through Tuesday, when they host Stonehill College at the Bryant Baseball Complex at 3:30 p.m.
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GAME ONE
Score by
Innings
R H E
-------------------------------------------
Saint Anselm College 000 000 010 - 1 3 0
Bryant University... 001 010 00X - 2
10 1
Win - O'Brien (4-0). Loss - Ryan (0-1). Save - Polvani (5).
GAME TWO
Score by
Innings
R H E
-------------------------------------------
Bryant University... 110 000 002 - 4
9 2
Saint Anselm College 000 100 000 - 1 8 5
Win - Almeida (1-2). Loss - Lavin (0-1). Save - Polvani (6).
