May 14, 2010
BRYANT BASEBALL TAKES TWO FROM QUINNIPIAC FRIDAY:
Bulldogs Win Opener Behind Polvani's One-Hitter
Game 1 – Bryant 3, Quinnipiac 0
- boxscore
Game 2 - Bryant 4,
Quinnipiac 3 - boxscore
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| Senior Eric Polvani took a no-hitter into the sixth inning in
Friday's 3-0 win over Quinnipiac. The senior allowed just one
hit and struck out nine to pick up his 20th career victory. www.dspics.com
|
HAMDEN, Conn. – Senior Eric Polvani (Wallingford,
Conn. / Sheehan) allowed just one hit through seven
innings while striking out nine to lead the Bryant University
baseball team to a 3-0 win over Quinnipiac in the first of two
games Friday afternoon at QU Baseball Field.
The Bulldogs would take the nightcap with a 4-3 win and will
look to close out the series perfect for the weekend with a single
game Saturday at 1 pm.
In other NEC action, Sacred Heart kept pace with Bryant by
sweeping a double header versus Monmouth. In doing so, Bryant
continues to stand 3 games ahead of the Pioneers for first place in
the NEC standings with just 5 games remaining. Bryant and Sacred
Heart will play a four game series beginning Wednesday afternoon in
Smithfield to conclude the 2010 NEC slate.
Polvani, making his 82nd career appearance on the mound, tying
him with Adam Vuolo for the most in a career at Bryant, was solid
right from the start, striking out five through the first four
innings and allowing just two runners to reach base, one on a walk
and the other on a wild pitch after a strikeout.
He would take a no hitter into the sixth inning, but following
back-to-back strikeouts, Chris Migani broke through with a two-out
single to right field. It would be the only hit of the game
for Quinnipiac as Polvani retired the Bobcats in order in the
seventh to pick up his 20th career victory, tying him with Dan
Lozeau for third all-time in school history.
Bryant would scratch across an unearned run in the fourth and
tacked on two more runs in the sixth thanks to a sacrifice fly by
Zakary Cianciolo (Prospect, Conn.) scoring
Jeff Vigurs (South Windsor, Conn.) and RBI single
to right by Jamie Skagerlind (Holden, Mass.)
scoring Nick Campbell (Raynham, Mass.).
Campbell and Vigurs each had two of Bryant's six hits in
the game.
In the second game, the Bulldogs jumped out quickly in the top
of the third as Cianciolo and Skagerlind reached on back-to-back
singles to lead off the inning. Cianciolo would get cut down
trying to reach third on a bunt attempt by Tim Norton
(Barnstable, Mass.), but sophomore Mike DelPonte
(Tewksbury, Mass.), getting the start behind the plate in
the second game, laced a two-run double to left to score both
Skagerlind and Norton.
DelPonte would later score on a double by Kevin Brown
(Northborough, Mass.) to make it 3-0. The sophomore
would add an RBI single down the right field line scoring
Skagerlind from second with what would prove to be the winning run
as Quinnipiac would pull to within 4-3 with a run in the bottom of
the seventh. However, with two outs, reliever Mark
Andrews (Hillsborough, N.J.) struck out Brian Monack to
end the game and pick up his 12th save of the season, tying him for
second all-time in school history with Vuolo and just one shy of
Polvani's career saves record of 13.
Freshman Sal Lisanti (Bronx, N.Y.) improved his
record to 3-4 overall after allowing just three hits over 4 2/3
innings.
