Bixler pitches Eagles past Bryant, 5-1

SOLTIS BREAKS UP BIXLER'S NO-HIT BID WITH TWO OUTS IN THE NINTH

FORT MYERS, Fla. – Sophomore left-hander Brandon Bixler struck out 12 and carried a no-hitter into the ninth inning, leading Florida Gulf Coast to a 5-1 victory, and series sweep, over the Bryant University baseball team on Sunday at Hammond Stadium.

Making his second start of the season for the Eagles (4-3), Bixler was one out away from a no-no but senior third baseman David Soltis (Plainville, Conn.) ripped a 3-2 pitch up the middle for the Bulldogs' (2-4) first hit of the afternoon. The single also plated Bryant's only run as junior Kevin Brown (Northborough, Mass.) came around to score after reaching on a two-out walk. Bixler's free pass to Brown was just one of three he issued in the game and Brown represented just the fourth baserunner – Bixler also hit a batter – that reached all afternoon.

The compact lefty didn't waste any time attacking the Black and Gold, striking out the side in the first and five of the first six batters overall. After issuing a two-out walk in the second, Bixler retired nine-straight until he hit junior Adam Claire (Litchfield, Conn.) with two outs in the fifth. Bixler struck out the side again in the sixth and then escaped the only threat the Bulldogs mustered in the seventh, stranding a runner on third.

While Bixler was twirling his gem, the Eagles were scratching across five runs against four different Bulldog pitchers. FGCU broke the scoreless deadlock in the third with a pair of runs. An infield error and a walk put two runners on, Sean Dwyer's single loaded the bases and Mike Reeves's single up the middle put FGCU on top, 2-0.

A pair of walks and another infield error helped the Eagles load the bases again in the fifth and Reeves drew a bases loaded walk to make it 3-0. FGCU tacked on two more runs in the seventh as Brandon Bednar and Ryan Gebhart started the inning with consecutive doubles to score one run and Zack Tillery followed with an RBI single to score the fifth.

Sophomore right-hander Craig Schlitter (Guilford, Conn.) started for the Black and Gold and pitched well over 4.1 innings, allowing three unearned runs on three hits. He walked five and struck out five in losing his first game of the season. Bryant received strong relief from freshman Trevor Lacosse (Watervliet, N.Y.) and junior Salvatore Lisanti (Bronx, N.Y.). Lacosse pitched 1.2 scoreless innings despite walking three batters and Lisanti closed the game with 1.1 scoreless innings.

Bryant was able to keep the game close by turning a pair of double plays and throwing out two runners trying to steal. Senior Mike DelPonte (Tewksbury, Mass.) caught runners in the first and third inning and the Bulldogs turned a big 6-4-3 double play to escape further damage in the fifth.

Gebhart and Bednar each scored a pair of runs and Reeves finished the afternoon with three RBI. Danny Patrick entered the game after Soltis's single in the ninth and closed out the victory for Bixler.

The Bulldogs get back on the diamond next weekend with a trip Fairfax, Va., to face George Mason in a three-game series starting on Friday.