BASEBALL DEFEATS FAIRFIELD 18-8 BEHIND 24 HIT ATTACK BY THE BULLDOGS

April 1, 2010
 
BASEBALL DEFEATS FAIRFIELD 18-8 THURSDAY BEHIND 24-HIT ATTACK; BULLDOGS HOSTS HARTFORD FRIDAY AT 3:30 PM

BOXSCORE

Senior Nick Campbell went 4-for-6 with three runs scored in Bryant's 18-8 win over Fairfield Thursday.  www.dspics.com

FAIRFIELD, Conn. –  Looking for a little run support Thursday against Fairfield, Bryant pitcher Eric Polvani (Wallingford, Conn.) certainly got what he wished for as the Bulldogs exploded for 18 runs on 24 hits including four home runs in an 18-8 non-conference victory over the Stags at Alumni Diamond.

Coming off a brilliant performance last Friday against Monmouth where he struck out 12 and walked just one in a 3-2 loss to the Hawks in West Long Branch, N.J., Polvani had excellent command on the mound once again Thursday at Fairfield.  The senior righty took a shutout into the seventh inning, but the Stags would finally get on the board in the bottom of the inning on a two-out double to score a pair of runs.   

Polvani would get out of the inning with a strikeout – his eighth of the day and improved to 1-4 on the year. Polvani allowed just four hits through seven innings and walked only two.

Bryant (7-13), looking for their fourth-straight win, wasted little time getting on the board in the top of the first . After two quick outs, Jeff Vigurs (South Windsor, Conn.) drilled his first home run of the season, a solo shot to right field, to put the visitors up 1-0.

Nick Campbell (Raynham, Mass.) would follow with a single to right and moved to second on an bunt single by Dylan Stone (Portsmouth, R.I.).  With two on, Zakary Cianciolo (Prospect, Conn.) lined a double to center to score both Campbell and Stone to make it 3-0.

Vigurs, who had three hits in the game, added an RBI single in the second to make it 4-0.  

The Bulldogs would add three more runs in the third to take a 7-0 lead. 

After leadoff hits by Stone and Cianciolo to lead off the third, first baseman Jamie Skagerlind (Holden, Mass.) doubled to the right field gap to score both Bulldogs.  The sophomore  would later come around to score on a ground out to short by Colin Dougherty (Lowell, Mass.). 

Fairfield (8-13) would pull to within 10-5 with three runs in the eighth against the Bryant bullpen, but the Bulldogs' bats came alive again in the ninth.  Keyed by home runs by David Soltis (Plainville, Conn.) and Scott Merritt (Norwalk, Conn.) the Bulldogs stretched its lead to 18-5 with eight runs in the inning and never looked back.   

In all, the Bulldogs finished with a season-high 18 runs on 24 hits including four home runs.  Campbell was one of many who had  big day at the plate as the senior went 4-for-6 with three runs scored while Cianciolo joined Vigurs with a three-hit afternoon.

Bryant will return home to host Hartford on Friday at 3:30 pm.