Bulldogs topple UConn, 7-2, Friday in Norwich

NORWICH, Conn. – Junior Kevin McAvoy (Syracuse, N.Y.) allowed just two runs on five hits over eight innings to lead the Bryant University baseball team to a 7-2 victory over Connecticut on day one of the Dodd Stadium College Baseball Classic Friday afternoon.

The Bulldogs (16-8) have now won six-straight games and 13 of their last 15. The victory is just the second in program history for the Black and Gold over the Huskies (13-14). Bryant and UConn will meet again on Sunday afternoon.

Bryant grabbed an early 2-0 lead with the help of an erratic Anthony Marzi. The senior left-hander hit freshman Matt Albanese (East Haddam, Conn.), walked junior Carl Anderson (Sudbury, Mass.) and hit senior Tom Gavitt (North Stonington, Conn.) to load the bases with two outs. Sophomore Robby Rinn (Warwick, R.I.) and junior Daniel St. George (Shelton, Conn.) then drew back-to-back walks to score a pair of runs.

The Huskies were able to chip into the lead with a single run in the second. Nico Darras doubled with two outs and came around to score on two-out single from Aaron Hill to make it 2-1.

UConn was poised to tie the game in the fourth as it loaded the bases with one out but sophomore shortstop Dan Cellucci (Sudbury, Mass.) made a defensive play up the middle that turned the game around completely. Jack Sundberg hit a bouncing ball up the middle that took a weird bounce at the end but Cellucci handled it deftly, stepped on second and fired it to first to complete the inning-ending double play.

Bryant used the momentum from the big play in its very next at-bat, erupting for four runs on six hits. Freshman Cole Fabio (Mahwah, N.J.) singled, Albanese doubled and Anderson delivered a sac fly to make it 3-1. Junior John Mullen (Walpole, Mass.) followed with an RBI double into the right field corner, Gavitt doubled to the base of the left field wall to score another and Rinn capped the outburst with a hot smash back up the middle to make it 6-1.

After a 4-6-3 double play thwarted a Huskie rally in the bottom of the fifth, the Black and Gold plated a single run in the sixth. Fabio singled to start the inning, moved to third on a sac bunt and a ground out and scored on a two-out single from Mullen.

McAvoy (4-1) turned in another superb start for the Bulldogs, allowing just two runs (one earned) on five hits over eight innings. He struck out three, walked four and benefited from three double plays to earn his fourth victory of the year. In all, McAvoy induced 13 ground ball outs.

Offensively, Fabio (2-4, 2R), Mullen (2-5, 2RBI) and Gavitt (2-4) all finished with multiple hits. Albanese added a pair of runs scored and Rinn picked up two RBI.

The Bulldogs continue play in the Dodd Stadium College Baseball Classic on Saturday as they face Stony Brook at 12:00 p.m.