Bulldogs cruise past Stony Brook, 10-0

BASEBALL WINNING STREAK HITS 19 WITH WIN OVER STONY BROOK

STONY BROOK, N.Y. – Senior right-hander Joseph Michaud (Milford, Conn.) threw six scoreless innings and the No. 30 Bryant University baseball team pounded out 14 hits on its way to a 10-0 victory over Stony Brook on Tuesday afternoon at Joe Nathan Field.

The Bulldogs' (24-9-1) victory was their 19-straight and their first against the Seawolves (12-24). Bryant's current win streak is now the longest in the NCAA this season and is just one shy of the all-time program record of 20 set during the 2000 season.

On Tuesday, Bryant put on an efficient offensive display. After not scoring in the first inning, the Bulldogs scored runs in each of the next four innings. They started the string with a pair of runs in the second. Sophomore John Mullen (Walpole, Mass.) walked on four pitches, stole second and then moved to third on a ground out to the right side. Senior Dan Muscatello (Hopkinton, Mass.) then singled up the middle to score Mullen with the first run of the game. Junior Tom Gavitt (North Stonington, Conn.) followed with a walk and the two completed a double steal to get in scoring position. Freshman Robby Rinn (Warwick, R.I.) made it pay off as he fought off several tough pitches before flying out to left to score Muscatello from third.

The Bulldogs would then tack on single runs over the next two frames. Freshman AJ Zarozny (Shrewsbury, Mass.) started the third with a ground-rule double, advanced to third on a fly ball to right and scored on an RBI single from sophomore Carl Anderson (Sudbury, Mass.). In the fourth, sophomore Daniel St. George (Shelton, Conn.) continued his strong play of late by drilling a 1-2 pitch over the left field wall for his first career home run and a 4-0 Bryant lead.

Two runs in the fifth capped Bryant's string of scoring innings. Senior Kevin Brown (Northborough, Mass.) doubled to start the inning, stole third and then scored on a sac fly from Mullen. Anderson restarted the inning with a single to right, stole second and came around to score on a two-out double from Gavitt.

Bryant added to its lead with a single run in the seventh. Anderson singled to center with two outs and Muscatello followed with a double to left-center to score him and make it 7-0. The Bulldogs then tacked on two runs in the eighth. Rinn doubled just inside the left field line to start the inning and freshman Daniel Palazzo (Rocky Hill, Conn.) scored him with a pinch-hit double down the right field line. Zarozny completed the scoring with an RBI single to left-center that drove in pinch-runner Dan Cellucci (Sudbury, Mass.). The Black and Gold finished their scoring in the ninth as junior Jonathan Scott (Princeton, N.J.) drilled his first home run of the season over the left-center field wall to make it 10-0.

All the while, Michaud was twirling another gem on the mound. He needed to escape a potentially disastrous first inning however. The first two Seawolves singled to start the game before a fly out to center recorded the first out of the inning. Both advanced on a wild pitch and Kevin Courtney walked to load the bases with one out. Michaud made a big pitch, though, inducing a ground ball to short from Johnny Caputo. Muscatello and senior Adam Claire (Litchfield, Conn.) did the rest as they were able to turn it into an inning-ending 6-4-3 double play.

After that, Michaud was dominant. He allowed just two more hits on the afternoon, leaving after tossing six scoreless innings. Michaud retired the side in order in the second, worked around a two-out single in the third and a leadoff walk in the fourth and then retired the side in order in the fifth. In his final inning, the first two Seawolves reached but his defense helped out again as Anderson raced in from center to make a catch and then threw to second to double off the runner. After a double put runners on second and third, Muscatello ranged deep in the hole to throw out Tanner Nivins by a half a step at first for the final out. Michaud allowed four hits, walked three and struck out two. Sophomore Trevor Lacosse (Watervliet, N.Y.) followed with two scoreless innings of relief and senior Salvatore Lisanti (Bronx, N.Y.) closed the door with a scoreless ninth.

Offensively, Zarozny and Anderson each finished with three hits and Muscatello extending his career-long hitting streak to 12 games. Anderson scored twice and Muscatello drove in two runs. Bryant collected six doubles and belted two home runs on the afternoon.

The Bulldogs will now return to Northeast Conference play as they face two-time defending champion Sacred Heart in a four-game series beginning on Friday, April 19.