BULLDOGS POUND OUT 19 HITS; SWEEP
QUINNIPIAC
Bryant Now One Win From NEC Regular
Season Crown
HAMDEN, CT—Senior catcher Jeff Vigurs (South
Windsor, Conn.) went 4-5 with a double and a RBI as the
Bryant University baseball team completed a four-game sweep of
Quinnipiac University Saturday afternoon in Hamden, Connecticut,
with a 15-11 victory. Freshman pitcher Peter Kelich
(Jackson, N.J.) won his NEC-leading 8th decision,
pitching 6.2 innings and allowing just three earned runs on 11
hits.
Bryant (31-21, 22-6 NEC) is now just one win away from claiming
the NEC regular season pennant. The Bulldogs have swept three
league series in their first year playing a full NEC schedule.
Quinnipiac (14-35, 13-15) faces a crucial four-game series with
Wagner College next weekend as both clubs will be vying to make the
NEC tournament that begins May 27th.
Trailing 1-0 entering the top of the fourth, the Bulldogs
exploded for five runs off freshmen Bobcat pitcher Derek Lamacchia.
Jordan English (Windsor Locks, Conn.) started off
the inning singling to right. Vigurs followed with his second hit
of the afternoon, and both runners moved up a base on a bunt single
by senior Nick Campbell (Raynham, Mass.) to load
the bases. Dylan Stone (Portsmouth, R.I.) tied the
score with a base hit to left, and the Bulldogs would take a lead
that they would not relinquish when Vigurs trotted home on a wild
pitch. Jamie Skagerlind (Holden, Mass.) also had a
two RBI single in the inning, and freshmen Kevin Brown
(Northborough, Mass.) capped off the scoring with a
line-drive sacrifice fly to right to give Bryant a 5-1
advantage.
Bryant would open up the scoring even more an inning later,
scoring eight runs to jump out to a 13-1 lead. Twelve different
Bulldogs came to the plate, with nine reaching via the hit. Vigurs
had two hits in the inning.
Bryant had 19 hits in the game, with six different Bulldogs
having multi-hit performances, including a 2-5 day from third
basemen Tim Norton (Barnstable, Mass.), who
homered for the fifth time this season in the top of the eighth.
English and Campbell each contributed three-hit displays in the
win.
Lamacchia took the loss for Quinnipiac and fell to 2-6 on the
season. The Bobcats were paced by left fielder Ben Farina, who went
2-5 with three RBI on the afternoon. Quinnipiac made the game
interesting by scoring five runs in the bottom of the ninth, but
their comeback fell short and Bryant was able to complete their
first road sweep since joining the Northeast Conference.
John Michael Ryan (Worcester, Mass.) threw 1.1
innings of scoreless relief for Bryant, who has now won eight of
its last nine games.
Bryant now heads home to close out their second season at the
Division 1 level with a four-game series against second place
Sacred Heart. First game is slated for 3pm on Wednesday at the
Bryant Baseball Complex. All four games can be seen live on www.bryantbulldogs.tv.
