Bulldogs blank Seahawks in doubleheader sweep Thursday

SMITHFIELD, R.I. – Senior Craig Schlitter (Guilford, Conn.), junior Kevin McAvoy (Syracuse, N.Y.) and sophomore Michael Marshall (Maynard, Mass.) combined to limit Wagner to just four hits in two games as the Bryant University baseball team swept a doubleheader with 16-0 and 4-0 wins on Thursday afternoon at Conaty Park.

With the two shutouts, the Bulldogs (39-12, 19-3 NEC) have now blanked 11 opponents this season, the most in the Division I era. The Seahawks (17-33, 9-13) will now play for their playoff lives as they need two wins on Friday to stay in the hunt.

GAME ONE

McAvoy was brilliant for the second-straight week as he allowed just two hits over 7.1 shutout innings in the opener. Marshall closed the door with 1.2 innings of scoreless relief and the Bulldog offense pounded out 16 runs on 21 hits.

Bryant started its scoring in the first inning as junior Carl Anderson (Sudbury, Mass.) tripled to the left-center to lead off the game. Classmate John Mullen (Walpole, Mass.) scored him two batters later with an infield single to third.

The Bulldogs went on to score three runs in the third to open a four run lead. Sophomore AJ Zarozny (Shrewsbury, Mass.) singled to start the inning and classmate Robby Rinn (Warwick, R.I.) put runners on the corners with a one-out single to right field. Freshman Matt Albanese (East Haddam, Conn.) and junior Jordan Mountford (Guelph, Ont.) followed with consecutive RBI singles and senior Tom Gavitt (North Stonington, Conn.) capped the inning with a sac fly to left.

Bryant then flexed its muscles, scoring 12 times in its final four at-bats. In the fifth, Albanese was hit, Mountford singled and Gavitt smacked a towering drive over the left-field wall for his sixth home run of the season and a 7-0 Bulldog lead.

The power display continued for the Black and Gold as Zarozny led off the bottom of the sixth with a drive that landed on the practice putting green behind the fence in left field. Sophomore Dan Cellucci (Sudbury, Mass.) joined in as well, clouting a two-run home run down the left field line in the seventh to make it 11-0.

Bryant completed its scoring with five runs in the eighth. A pair of runs crossed on wild pitches, while Brandon Bingel (Peabody, Mass.) added a sac fly and Daniel St. George (Shelton, Conn.) and Mullen smacked back-to-back RBI singles.

It was more than enough support for McAvoy. The right-hander allowed just two hits, struck out five and didn't walk a batter on the afternoon to improve to 8-1 on the year. The victory is also the 20th of his career, making him the seventh Bulldog to accomplish that feat. McAvoy struck out the first two batters he faced, stranded a runner at third in the second and finished his afternoon by retiring 10 of the final 11 batters he faced. Marshall entered with a runner on in the eighth and was able to get the final five outs without allowing a hit.

Gavitt led the offense as he set career highs with four hits and three runs scored while adding a career-high tying four RBI. Anderson (3-6, 2R), Zarozny (2-4, 2R), St. George (2-2), Mullen (3-5, 2RBI), Albanese (2-4, 3R) and Mountford (2-4) all added multiple hits for the Black and Gold.

GAME TWO

Schlitter faced just one batter over the minimum, allowing just hits while striking out seven in his game-two masterpiece. The victory was his ninth of the season and moved him into sole possession of second place all-time with 27 career wins.

The veteran right-hander allowed first-inning and fourth-inning singles to Jason Gordon but nothing else on Thursday. After Gordon singled to lead off the fourth, Schlitter responded with a fly out and a 6-4-3 double play ball before retiring the final nine batters in order to close the door.

Bryant's offense scored all it would it need with two runs in the first before adding single runs in the fourth and sixth innings. Anderson opened the game in exciting fashion as he clobbered a 1-0 fastball over the 400' sign in center field for his seventh home run of the season. Mountford then singled to center to score Zarozny for the second run.

The Bulldogs used a pair of sac flies to close out their scoring. A walk and two singles loaded the bases in the fourth and Zarozny just missed hitting a grand slam as he flew out to the fence in left, scoring Rinn from third. Rinn then doubled to start the sixth and came around to score on a sac fly from Cellucci.

Anderson, Mountford and Rinn all finished with two hits, while Rinn also added a pair of runs scored.

Bryant and Wagner wrap up their series on Friday with a doubleheader beginning at 12:00 p.m. Bryant will honor its seven seniors prior to the first pitch of game one.