March 26, 2010

BRYANT BASEBALL DROPS HEARTBREAKER AT MONMOUTH 3-2 FRIDAY
Bulldogs and Hawks continue series with doubleheader Saturday

Baseball – Monmouth 3, Bryant 2 - Final
Boxscore

Senior Eric Polvani (Wallingford, Conn.) struck out a career best 12 batters in Bryant's 3-2 loss to Monmouth Friday afternoon. The 12 strikeouts are the most since since 2003.  www.dspics.com

WEST LONG BRANCH, N.J. –  Bryant University senior right hander Eric Polvani (Wallingford, Conn.) struck out a career-high 12 batters but it was not enough as Owen Stewart lined a walk-off double off closer Mark Andrews (Hillsborough, N.J.) to in the bottom of the ninth to give Monmouth University a 3-2 victory in the Northeast Conference opener Friday afternoon at MU Field.

The Hawks would push across the game's first run in the bottom of the sixth on an RBI double to left by Josh Boyd, scoring Bobby Dombrowski who led off the inning with an infield single.

Bryant would come back to take the lead in the top of the seventh.  Dylan Stone (Portsmouth, R.I.) reached on a two-out bunt down the third base line and would quickly get into scoring position by stealing second – his first steal of the season.

Zakary Cianciolo (Northborough, Mass.) reached on an error by the Hawks on a grounder to shortstop allowing Stone to come around to score.  Cianciolo moved up to second on the play and would come around to score on a single to right field by Jamie Skagerlind (Holden , Mass.) to make it 2-1.

Polvani, looking for his first victory of the season, pitched well enough to earn the win on the mound for the Bulldogs, holding Monmouth to just one hit through the first five innings.  He would finish with a career-best 12 strikeouts and just one walk MU batter through 8 1/3 innings of work.  The 12 strikeouts are the most by a Bryant pitcher since Mike Florest struck out 12 batters against Southern Connecticut in 2003.

However, in the bottom of the ninth, Monmouth's Jamie Rosenkranz led off with a single and advanced to second on a bunt by teammate Ryan Terry.  Pinch hitter Mike Casale moved both runners into scoring position with a sacrifice bunt. 

With just one out and runners at second and third, the Bulldogs intentionally walked Cal Costanzo to load the bases and went to the bullpen to bring in Andrews with the hopes of getting out of the jam with a game-ending double play.   However, Stewart and the Hawks had other intentions as the sophomore lined a double down the right field line to score both Rosenkranz and Terry to end the game.

Stone and Skagerlind accounted for Bryant's four hits in the game as both went 2-for-4 on the afternoon.

Bryant and Monmouth will continue the weekend series Saturday with a doubleheader starting at noon at MU Baseball field.