How sweep it is

SMITHFIELD, R.I. – Paced by a pair of strong performances from the starting pitchers as well as impressive bullpen work of senior Mark Andrews (Hillsborough, N.J.), the Bryant University baseball team captured both ends of the doubleheader against Northeast Conference foe Monmouth on Saturday, taking the first game, 3-1, before capturing the second by a 4-2 decision.

Bryant (9-11, 3-4 NEC) and Monmouth (8-10, 4-3 NEC) will play the finale of the four-game set tomorrow at 1:00 p.m. at the Bryant Baseball Complex.

In the first game, freshman Craig Schlitter (Guilford, Conn.) went 4.1 innings on the mound, allowing one run on five hits with two strikeouts before Andrews came in to get the final eight outs, picking up four strikeouts en route to his third win of the season. Pat Light took the loss for the Hawks, allowing three earned runs in 6.0 innings with three punchouts.

After four innings of scoreless play, the visitors jumped on the board in the top of the fifth as the Hawks scored an unearned run on an RBI by Ed Martin for the 1-0 advantage.

Bryant answered quickly in the bottom half of the frame as Zachary Trenteseaux (Narragansett, R.I.) and Tim Norton (Barnstable, Mass.) led off with back-to-back singles. With two on and one out, Dan Muscatello (Hopkinton, Mass.) drove in the equalizer on a sacrifice fly to center field to bring the score to 1-1.

With Andrews taking care of business on the mound, the Bulldog offense struck again in the bottom of the sixth as Jamie Skagerlind (Holden, Mass.) scored the go-ahead run on an RBI single to center, followed by a sacrifice fly by Trenteseaux for the 3-1 lead and eventual victory as the home side went on to claim the first outing.

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In the second contest, sophomore Salvatore Lisanti (Bronx, N.Y.) provided a strong start on the hill for the Bulldogs as the New York native allowed two earned runs in 6.1 innings of work with five strikeouts for his first win of the season.  Andrews came in to get the final two outs for his fourth save while Dan Smith took the loss for the Hawks in 4.1 innings on the mound.

Monmouth struck first for the second straight game as Jamie Rosenkranz hit an RBI double to center field in the top of the first for the 1-0 lead.

The home squad came back to tie it up in the bottom half of the third on an RBI single by David Soltis (Plainville, Conn.), but the Hawks responded with another run in the fifth to take back the lead, 2-1.

Facing a one-run deficit, the Bulldogs scored three runs in the bottom half of the fifth and held on for the victory. Jordan English (Windsor Locks, Conn.) led off the frame with a single to left followed by Mike DelPonte (Tewksbury, Mass.) who crushed a two-run homer over the right field fence to put the home side on top by one, 2-1. Connor Carignan (Norwich, Conn.) added an insurance run later in the frame on an RBI double to left center while Lisanti and Andrews cruised to the 3-1 win.

The Black and Gold play the Hawks in the finale of the four-game series Sunday, March 27 at the Bryant Baseball Complex with first pitch set for 1:00 p.m.