May 10, 2008
NORTHEAST-10 CONFERENCE TOURNAMENT
TOP-SEEDED BRYANT ELIMINATED FROM NE-10 TOURNAMENT WITH NINTH-INNING LOSS TO SECOND-SEEDED SOUTHERN CONNECTICUT, 1-0, SATURDAY NIGHT
RINDGE, NH - The top-seeded Bryant University baseball team dropped a tough 1-0 win-or-go-home contest Saturday in the Northeast-10 Conference Tournament elimination game nightcap, walking in a run in the ninth as the Bulldogs took their second loss of the day at Pappas Field.
The two top teams in the league entered into a decisively defensive contest in the early innings, highlighted by a number of stellar catches from Bryant (39-19) fielders that kept the tally scoreless through the eighth frame.
Right fielder Taylor Ferguson (Charlton, Mass.) saved a run in the top of the fourth, chasing down a ball seemingly destined for the right centerfield gap off the bat of Karl Derbacher. The sophomore came close to turning the remarkable catch into a double play, nearly doubling up Mo Davidson as he hustled back to first. Fittingly, Ferguson would make all three outs in the inning on fly balls to right field.
In the seventh, senior third baseman Jason Alexander (Simsbury, Conn.) stole a base hit from cleanup hitter Anthony Fiorillo with a diving catch into the gap, a play that would also save a run, as two batters later Nick DeProspo sent a double back to the fence in left center. Hurler Brent Almeida (Fairhaven, Mass.) got Paul Izzo to ground out to second to strand Fiorillo in scoring position.
The Bulldogs threatened in the bottom of the eighth, with Dylan Stone (Portsmouth, RI) drawing a one-out walk to get onboard. Nick Campbell (Raynham, Mass.) got a pass on base by getting hit by a pitch - his second of the game and third of the day - and both runners moved into scoring position on a wild pitch.
But Owls starter Nick Carlucci worked out of the jam without any damage, fanning left fielder Pat O'Connor (Mattapoisett, Mass.) and getting Jeff Vigurs (South Windor, Conn.) to pop out to deep centerfield.
But in the top of the ninth, Almeida walked the leadoff runner before being replaced by sophomore closer Eric Polvani (Wallingford, Conn.). But when Fiorillo took a Polvani offering all the way back to the right field fence for a double, he put both runners moved into scoring position with no outs.
Polvani got the first out with a strikeout of Andrew Babb, then intentionally walking DePrespo to load the bases. But a full-count walk to Paul Izzo plated Derbacher to give the Owls a late 1-0 lead they wouldn't relinquish.
Justin Cox struck out for the second out of the inning, but when a single off the bat of Greg Malen hit the foot of Izzo on his way to second, the Bulldogs got out of the frame down one with three more outs of NE-10 Tournament life.
In the bottom of the ninth, Southern Connecticut gave the nod to closer Mike Connors to close out the game.
Pat McKenna (Orange, Conn.) led off the half-frame with a single to right, and Ferguson moved him to over with a fielder's choice ball to second. Mark Dondero (Medfield, Mass.) put McKenna just 90 feet from tying the game with another infield groundout, as Dave Muscatello (Hopkinton, Mass.) came to the plate to represent the winning run.
But on a full count, Connors got the nine-hole hitter swinging, ending Bryant's run in the Northeast-10 Tournament.
McKenna represented just the third Bulldog to reach third base in the contest, while Southern Connecticut sent just two to the third-base bag. The teams combined to strand 17 runners, with Bryant leaving nine Bulldogs on base.
Almeida took the loss in the nightcap despite letting up just six hits in eight innings of work to move to 3-4 on the season. The starter gave up a pair of walks and struck out five, while allowing the only run of the game. Polvani allowed two hits in one inning pitched with two walks and two strikeouts of his own.
Calucci moved to 6-2 on the year and got the win, giving up five hits and two walks with six strikeouts.
McKenna and Ferguson led the Bulldogs at the plate, each getting two hits and going 2-for-3 and 2-for-4, respectively. Fiorillo had the only multi-hit game for Southern Connecticut, going 2-for-4 on the night.
The loss ended the regular-season champs' chances at the conference tournament title, as Southern Connecticut moves on to Sunday's championship game against host and three-seed Franklin Pierce. The Bulldogs await word on the NCAA Tournament field, to be announced Sunday night.
