Bulldogs' streak snapped at 19, 4-1

BASEBALL WIN STREAK SNAPPED AT 19 ON FRIDAY

BRIDGEPORT, Conn. – The No. 30 Bryant University baseball team saw its 19-game winning streak come to a close on Friday afternoon, as Sacred Heart earned a 4-1 victory in the opening game of a four-game series at the Ballpark at Harbor Yard.

The Bulldogs' (24-10-1, 12-1 NEC) win streak, which has lasted for over a month, ends a game shy of program record of 20. The Pioneers (16-16, 12-5) have now won the last two meetings between the two teams.

Friday's series opener was a classic pitcher's duel between Bryant's Peter Kelich (Jackson, N.J.) and Sacred Heart's Troy Scribner. The two staff aces matched zeroes for the first three innings before the Pioneers were able to break the deadlock in the fourth. Dan Perez led off the inning with a single and Rocco Gondek followed with a double to left-center to put runners on second and third with no outs. Kelich battled back to get the first out on a pop up to first but Brian Lamboy delivered a clutch two-strike single into center field to score both runs. The runs were the first Kelich had allowed in 26 career innings against the Pioneers.

On the other side, Scribner was dominant. He hit a batter with two outs in the first and allowed a two-out single to freshman Robby Rinn (Warwick, R.I.) in the second before retiring the next 10 batters in a row. The senior right-hander didn't allow another baserunner until senior Adam Claire (Litchfield, Conn.) led off the sixth with a sharp single to left. Scribner battled back with a pair of ground outs and a strikeout, stranding Claire on second. Scribner struck out 11 in a complete game victory.

Bryant was finally able to scratch a run across against Scribner in the seventh. Sophomore John Mullen (Walpole, Mass.) doubled to right-center to start the inning and then scored two batters later on an errant throw. Mullen took off on a 2-2 pitch that was swung on and missed for strike three but the throw to third sailed into left, allowing Mullen to trot home with the first run.

The Pioneers, however, put the game away with two big runs in the bottom of the eighth. Jesus Medina led off the inning with a single through the left side to chase Kelich and John Murphy singled through the right side against sophomore reliever Trevor Lacosse (Watervliet, N.Y.). Following a sac bunt, Perez delivered a two-run single through a drawn-in infield to make it 4-1.

Following the fourth, Kelich was just as dominant. He picked off Lamboy and got a ground ball to short to end the inning starting a string of eight-straight retired. The streak ended with a one-out hit batter in the seventh but Kelich was able to work around the blemish. He allowed three runs on seven hits and struck out six over seven-plus innings on the mound.

 The series will continue on Saturday with a doubleheader beginning at 1:00 p.m.