Bryant scores early and often, tops QU, 9-4

SMITHFIELD, R.I. – Despite taking more than four and a half hours to complete, the Bryant University baseball team picked up its second-straight win over Quinnipiac, 9-4, Saturday afternoon at the Bryant Baseball Complex. Scheduled to play two, lightning and rain forced both teams to endure two separate hour delays, as the teams were only able to get the first seven-inning contest in before calling it a day.

The Bulldogs (25-22, 14-11 Northeast Conference) outhit the Bobcats (14-31, 10-21), 11-7, while going 3-for-4 with a runner on third. Bryant, who has now won 12 games at home this season, moves to 17-5 in 2011 when putting up points first.

For the second straight outing, the Bulldogs came out hitting the ball all over the diamond. Connor Carignan (Norwich, Conn.) led off with a standup double to right field and scratched across off of a RBI single by Kevin Brown (Northborough, Mass.). After David Soltis (Plainville, Conn.) singled, catcher Mike DelPonte (Tewksbury, Mass.) turned on the fourth pitch of the at bat and lined it into right field for the RBI single. First baseman Jamie Skagerlind (Holden, Mass.) followed up with a RBI single of his own before Joseph Carcone (New Hartford, N.Y.) knocked in the Bulldogs' fifth and final run in the inning with a fielder's choice to the left side of the infield.

Brown would pick up his second RBI in the outing with a single to right field, driving home Carignan to put the home side up, 6-0, after two.

The Bulldogs continued to pour it on in the bottom of the fourth, cashing in three runs on three hits. Second baseman Adam Claire (Litchfield, Conn.) led off with a single and made his way over to third after a failed pickoff attempt by the Bobcats pitching staff. Carignan would fight off nine pitchers before reaching first on balls, setting up Soltis for a RBI single to right field. DelPonte followed up with a sacrifice fly for the team's eighth run.

Following an hour postponement in play, Skagerlind chipped in with his second RBI in the contest to lift Bryant to a 9-0 edge after four innings.

On the hill, Peter Kelich (Jackson, N.J.) orchestrated five shutout innings, allowing one walk while dealing five strikeouts. With his performance, Kelich continued his dominance to 15.0 innings without allowing a score. After pitching the first frame after the delay, Kelich would exit the game, as righty David O'Brien (Whitman, Mass.) took over pitching duties. O'Brien would not last long though, as the red-shirt junior got tagged with three runs on three hits before giving way to senior Matt Griswold (Berlin, Conn.). Griswold, who took over with the bases loaded, surrendered one run on a wild pitch, but settled and got out of the jam with two groundouts and a pop out to end the threat.

Before the home side could come to bat in the six, the second delay occurred, forcing both teams to leave the field for more than an hour with the score in favor of Bryant, 9-4.

Following the second delay, neither side could record a hit, as Jonathan Cohen (Norwalk, Conn.) came in and secured the five-run victory for the Bulldogs.

Brown finished the day 2-for-4 at the dish with two RBIs and one run while Skagerlind went 3-for-4 with two RBIs.

The Bulldogs will play two on Sunday, as the teams will make up the second half of the doubleheader and play the fourth and final game of the weekend stand immediatey after. First pitch of the seven-inning affair is slated for 1:00 p.m. Sunday's twinbill also marks senior day for Bryant, as the club will honor eight Bulldogs playing in their final home contest.

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