Saturday, May 02, 2009
CAMPBELL BREAKS PROGRAM CAREER HITS RECORD AS BULLDOGS TOP WHEATON, 13-3, ON SENIOR DAY
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| Junior Nick
Campbell earned his record-setting 249th hit in style Saturday afternoon against Wheaton College, hitting a two-run home run to become Bryant baseball's new all-time career hits leader. |
SMITHFIELD, R.I. - A home run in the bottom of the sixth inning off the bat of junior centerfielder Nick Campbell (Raynham, Mass.) would do more than put an eventual 13-3 Bryant victory out of reach for visiting Wheaton College Saturday afternoon on 2009 Senior Day at the Bryant Baseball Complex.
With the shot, his second hit of the game, Campbell rewrote the Bryant baseball record books, becoming the all-time leader in career hits with 249.
Senior Pat McKenna (Orange, Mass.) and freshman Jamie Skagerlind (Holden, Mass.) led the Bulldogs from the plate on the day, as McKenna went 4-for-5 while Skagerlind came up with a pair of clutch, bases-loaded hits and went 3-for-4 on the day with five RBI and two runs scored. Four other Bulldogs recorded multi-hit outings, including Campbell, who went 2-for-5 with two RBI and two runs scored.
Junior Jeff Vigurs (South Windsor, Conn.) went 1-for-4 with two runs scored, keeping alive his current 11-game hitting streak with a game to play on the season.
It didn't take the Bulldogs (29-21) long to get to Wheaton starter Kevin Calabro, as Skagerlind took him deep with two out in the bottom of the second to give the home side a 1-0 edge and get the scoring started.
The Bulldogs followed it up with three-straight hits to load the bases for Dylan Stone (Portsmouth, R.I), but Calabro worked himself out of the jam without any further damage as the Bulldogs stranded three and headed to the third.
But the Lyons (30-12) would struggle again to put Bryant away the following frame, giving up a leadoff bunt to Campbell, who moved over thanks to a balk during the next at bat.
Consecutive errors from rightfielder Hal Landers and shortstop Nick Pecora, both on routine fly balls, loaded up the bases again, this time for the powerful Skagerlind. This time, Bryant made good on the scoring threat, as Skagerlind laced Calabro's first offering down the right field line for a double that scored Campbell and Pat O'Connor (Mattapoisett, Mass.).
A sacrifice fly to deep centerfield off the bat of designated hitter Jon Beauregard (New Bedford, Mass.) brought home Jordan English (Windsor Locks, Conn.) from third before the Lyons would record the third out of the frame, giving the Bulldogs and their hurler a 4-0 advantage heading into the fourth inning.
But the flood gates stayed open in the bottom of the fifth as back-to-back RBI doubles from O'Connor and English plated two more runs for the Bulldogs before Calabro was chased off the mound in favor of Nolan Corr, who inherited a runner on second with none out in the frame. Corr would get two quick outs without moving the runner, but third baseman Tim Norton (Barnstable, Mass.) would prove to be the spoiler, getting a two-out, RBI double out of the nine spot to build Bryant's lead to 7-0.
Meanwhile, the Bulldogs held strong defensively, thanks to the work of starter Eric Polvani (Wallingford, Conn.), stayed perfect through four and carried a no-hitter into the sixth frame, retiring 16 of the first 17 batters he faced with the only exception coming off a fifth-inning leadoff walk.
But in the sixth, Eric Laliberte finally touched Polvani for the Lyons' first hit of the game. A fielder's choice and error committed while trying to get the lead runner put two on, and a one-out walk loaded the bases for Jeff Lieneck. Polvani got Lieneck to foul out, but a hit up the middle scored two to put Wheaton on the board. Paul Malaguti followed up the hit by getting his bat on a 3-2 offering and lined it into right field just past the diving reach of Skagerlind at first base to close the gap to 7-3.
Bryant would get two more runs off Campbell's record-setting home run in the sixth before Wheaton traded pitchers again, this time for Chad Kasik, who inherited a pair of base runners thanks to hits up the middle by Vigurs and O'Connor.
But the Bulldogs had an answer for Kasik too.
An error put English on first and juiced the bases for Skagerlind, who came through again, ripping a pitch into right for two more runs. A Beauregard single to the same place plated English before a groundout allowed Skagerlind to touch home for a 13-3 Bulldog lead.
John Michael Ryan (Worcester, Mass.) would take over on the hill to start the seventh, facing the minimum six batters in two 1-2-3 innings before giving way for closer Mark Andrews (Hillsborough, N.J.) in the ninth. With one out and one on, Andrews pitched the Lyons into a game-ending double play for the 13-3 final.
The game marked 2009 Senior Day and the second to last home contest for six Bryant seniors in McKenna, Beauregard, O'Connor and pitchers Kevin Cobb (Acton, Mass.), Dan Lozeau (Pelham, N.H.) and Chris Foundas (Needham, Mass.).
The Bulldogs will play in their final home game of the season on Monday, May 11 when they host Northeastern University at the Bryant Baseball Complex at 3:30 p.m.
