Patterson dazzles; Owens earns win #700

GREENSBORO, N.C. – Freshman Jack Patterson (Suffield, Conn.) struck out eight over five scoreless innings to lead the Bryant University baseball team to a rain-shortened 4-0 victory over North Carolina A&T on Wednesday afternoon at War Memorial Stadium.

With the victory, fourth-year head coach Steve Owens became just the 38th active coach to win 700 games in a career. In sweeping the Aggies (6-9), the Bulldogs (5-6) have won back-to-back games for the first time this season. The game was called with a runner on first and one out in the top of the sixth due to heavy rains and unplayable field conditions.

Making his first collegiate start, Patterson sparkled over five scoreless innings, issuing just one walk while striking out eight to earn his first-career victory. He recorded five of the first six outs via strikeout, striking out the side in the first to strand a pair of runners before fanning two more fielding a weak comebacker to strand runners on second and third in the second. A caught stealing retired the only runner A&T mustered in the third, Patterson struck out two more in the fourth and a 1-2-3 fifth completed his outing.

Sophomore first baseman Robby Rinn (Warwick, R.I.) gave Patterson all the run support he would need in the first inning. Buck McCarthy (Saugus, Mass.) ripped a two-out single up the middle and Rinn launched a 1-0 pitch deep over the wall in right center for his first-career home run.

The Bulldogs tacked on single runs in the second and sixth. A pair of A&T errors led to the run in the second. Freshman Zane Smith (Ilion, N.Y.) reached on a throwing error and classmate Brandon Bingel (Peabody, Mass.) was hit by a pitch to put two runners on. The A&T catcher then tried to throw behind Bingel at first base but his throw sailed down the right field line, allowing Smith to score from second and give the Black and Gold a 3-0 lead. In the sixth, junior Daniel St. George (Shelton, Conn.) led off with a single and came around to score as Smith singled through a drawn-in infield. It was the first RBI of Smith's career.

McCarthy and junior Carl Anderson (Sudbury, Mass.) each had two hits on the afternoon. Patterson's five scoreless innings gave Bryant its second-straight shutout victory over the Aggies.

Bryant now heads to Johnson City, Tenn., to face Eastern Tennessee State in a three-game series over the weekend. First pitch is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. on Friday night.