Bryant falls to Wagner, 4-2, in 10 innings

SMITHFIELD, R.I. – A sac fly from senior Mickey Gasper (Merrimack, N.H.) tied the game in the eighth, but a three-run Wagner 10^th proved to be the difference in a 4-2 win over the Bryant University baseball team Saturday at Conaty Park.

Senior Jack Patterson (Suffield, Conn.) limited the Seahawks to one unearned run while striking out seven over six innings in a no-decision. Redshirt-freshman Ryan Ward (Millbury, Mass.) picked up his 88^th hit of the season, surpassing Robby Rinn for the program's Division I single-season mark.

Game Information
Wagner 4, Bryant 2 (10 innings)
Records: Wagner (33-15, 18-6 NEC) | Bryant (28-20-1, 18-6 NEC)
Location: Conaty Park (Smithfield, R.I.)
W|L|S: Nick Robino (7-3) | Tyler Mattison (5-2) | Brad Currao (1)

Key Moment
Six straight Wagner batters reached with one out in the 10^th inning off three singles, a pair of walks and a fielder's choice, allowing the Seahawks to inch ahead to a 4-1 lead they would not relinquish.

How it Happened

• After five shutout innings from starters Patterson and Neil Abbatiello, the Seahawks got on the board in the sixth via a passed ball, allowing Kyle Cala to score Wagner's first run.
• Chris Wright (Cumberland, R.I.) started the bottom half of the eighth with a base hit into right center. After advancing to second on a Ward walk, they both moved up 90 feet thanks to a wild pitch. Gasper skied a ball to center to bring home Wright and tie the game.
• Both teams went scoreless in the final regulation frame, but Wagner posted a three-spot in the 10th. Joe Silvestrone's slowly-hit ground ball halfway up the third base line gave the Seahawks a 2-1 advantage. A bases-loaded walk to Freddy Sabido made it 3-1 and Anthony Pecora's single to left upped the advantage to 4-1 before Matthew Stanksy (Douglas, Mass.) recorded back-to-back outs to prevent further damage.
• Bryant got one back in the bottom half on an RBI double from Malik Daley (Northborough, Mass.) to score Ward for the final 4-2 margin.

Stats                            

• Daley recorded Bryant's lone multi-hit performance of the afternoon, going 2-for-5 with an RBI double. Wright, Ward and Tyler Panno (Rivervale, N.J.) each added a knock for Bryant.
• Wagner got the best of Bryant in the hit column, recording seven to the Bulldogs' five.
• Wright also drew a pair of walks to reach in three of his five trips to the plate on the afternoon.

Game Notes

• Ward's 88^th hit of the season passed the mark of Rinn set in 2016. The all-time program mark of 99 was set by Jeff Renga in 2002.
• Gasper's RBI was the 112^th of his Bulldog career, moving him to fifth in the D1 era. It was his eighth career sacrifice fly.
• Daley is 6-for-20 (.300) over his last five games with a home run and two runs batted in. He also recorded an assist from right field Saturday.
• The teams are now tied atop the NEC standings at 18-6 with four games remaining on each's schedule, including Sunday's final head-to-head meeting before the NEC tournament at Dodd Stadium in two weeks.
• The start of the game was pushed back two hours by rain before a three-hour, 32-minute contest.
• Friday and Saturday marked the first time Bryant has played back-to-back extra-inning contests since closing the 2014 season with extra-inning affairs against Sacred Heart, Houston and Southeastern Louisiana in the NEC tournament clincher and NCAA Regional.

Up Next
The Bulldogs and Seahawks wrap up their three-game set tomorrow, starting at 1 p.m. at Conaty Park. The first pitch will be preceded by Senior Day festivities.