Skagerlind reaches 200, Bulldogs fall, 4-3

SKAGERLIND REACHES 200 HITS, BULLDOGS SPLIT WITH MONMOUTH

WEST LONG BRANCH, N.J. – Senior Jamie Skagerlind (Holden, Mass.) picked up his 200^th career hit and sophomore Jonathan Scott (Princeton, N.J.) hit a two-run home run in the first inning but Monmouth scored two runs in the seventh inning to earn a 4-3 victory over the Bryant University baseball team Sunday afternoon at the MU Baseball Field.

The Bulldogs (30-20, 21-7 NEC) and the Hawks (32-19, 20-8 NEC) split their four-game Northeast Conference series for the fourth-straight year and are separated by one game in the league standings heading into the final weekend of the season.

Sitting on 199 career hits entering the afternoon, Skagerlind became the 13^th player in program history to reach the 200-hit plateau with a single up the middle in the top of the first inning.

Batting fourth for the first time in his career, Scott made the most of his promotion in the first inning. After junior Dan Muscatello (Hopkinton, Mass.) doubled with one out, Scott drilled a monstrous two-run home run just fair inside the pole in left field.

Monmouth cut the lead in half with a run in the fourth inning. Josh Boyd led off the inning with a double down the left field line and then stole third but was still there after two strikeouts. Jamie Rosenkranz came through with two outs, however, as he ripped a single into left field to make it 2-1.

Bryant was able to get the run back in the fifth inning with perfect execution. Junior Kevin Brown (Northborough, Mass.) led off with a single, stole second, moved to third on a sac bunt from Scott and scored on a Skagerlind sac fly to left to make it 3-1.

The Hawks pulled within a run again in the bottom of the fifth. A single and a hit by pitch put two runners on with one out and a throwing error on a possible Ed Martin double-play ball allowed a run to score and made the score 3-2.

Monmouth threatened to take the lead in the sixth inning but Bryant starter Kevin McAvoy (Syracuse, N.Y.) was able to work out of a jam. Jake Gronsky and Rosenkranz both singled and advanced to second and third with one out on a passed ball. Chris Perret then grounded to first and Skagerlind threw home to get Gronsky at the plate for the second out. McAvoy ended the threat by getting a fly ball to right.

Thwarted in the sixth, the Hawks were successful in the seventh. Facing freshman reliever Trevor Lacosse (Watervliet, N.Y.), Tom Augustyniak worked a one-out walk and Martin singled to left to put two runners on. Boyd followed with a sac bunt to move both runners up and Gronsky delivered a two-run single to right-center to give the Hawks their first lead of the afternoon, 4-3.           

Bryant had chances to extend its lead early in the game but came up empty. Senior David Soltis (Plainville, Conn.) walked, freshman Jordan Mountford (Guelph, Ont.) singled and senior Connor Carignan (Norwich, Conn.) singled to load the bases with two outs in the fourth but Adam Yunginger got a strikeout to get out of the jam.

McAvoy allowed two runs (one earned) on six hits over six innings and struck out three and received the no decision. Sophomore Jonathan Cohen (Norwalk, Conn.) came on with the bases loaded in the seventh and got out of the jam, finishing the game with 1 1/3 of scoreless relief. Carignan led the Bulldogs with two hits.

A trio of Monmouth pitchers combined to retire the final 14 Bulldogs in order. Niel Harm picked up the win with two perfect innings of relief.

Bryant will have the week off to focus on finals before starting its final NEC series of the season on Friday against Wagner at Conaty Park. Game one is scheduled for Friday, May 11 at 3:00 p.m.