Baseball drops game one; game two halted in fifth

SMITHFIELD, R.I. – The Bryant University baseball team stranded nine runners on base in a 1-0 loss to Wagner on Friday afternoon at Conaty Park. Game two of the doubleheader was halted in the top of the fifth and will be resumed on Saturday at 4:00 p.m.

The Bulldogs (39-13, 19-4 NEC) picked up five hits and stranded the tying run in scoring position in the fifth and sixth innings. The Seahawks (18-33, 10-13) kept their playoff hopes alive with the game one win.

GAME ONE

Wagner plated a two-out run in the top of the first inning and it was enough to hold off the Bulldogs. Freshman right-hander Nolan Long held the Black and Gold to two hits over five scoreless innings and closer Steven Bloodworth earned his fifth save with two scoreless innings.

Sophomore Kyle Wilcox (Sandy Hook, Conn.) struck out the first two batters of the game before Nick Dini started a string of three-consecutive singles with a sharp drive to center. Shaun Flynn followed with a single through the left side and Tommy Mazurkiewicz scored Dini with a single to right center to provide the only run of the game.

Wilcox settled down after that but the Bulldogs were unable to tie the game. In the fourth, sophomore Robby Rinn (Warwick, R.I.) doubled to left to start the inning but the Bulldogs were unable to produce a run. In the fifth, a pair of walks and a single loaded the bases with one out. Long then got a ground ball to third for the second out and a fly ball to left to end the threat. Bryant had another chance in the sixth as freshman Matt Albanese (East Haddam, Conn.) doubled to start the inning. A sac bunt moved him to third but the Seahawks were able to turn a 6-4-3 double play to get out of the inning.

Following a double and a walk in the third, the combination of Wilcox and senior Jonathan Cohen (Norwalk, Conn.) combined to allow just three runners over the final four innings. Wilcox allowed one run on five hits, walked four and struck out six. Cohen tossed two scoreless innings to close out the game.

Five different Bulldogs collected hits, while John Mullen (Walpole, Mass.) walked three times.