Cynthia Herrick Photography
Cynthia Herrick Photography

Baseball drops Saturday affair with LIU, 5-4

BROOKLYN – LIU Brooklyn scored four times in the bottom of the fifth inning and then held on for a 5-4 victory over the Bryant University baseball team on Saturday afternoon at LIU Field.

With the win, the Blackbirds evened the three-game series at 1-1 with the Bulldogs. The two teams will play the rubber match on Sunday afternoon at 1:00 p.m.

LIU Brooklyn took advantage of two Bryant miscues to score three unearned runs on Saturday.

Senior Nathan Wrighter (Windsor, N.Y.) pitched four innings of solid relief but was saddled with the loss. He allowed one unearned run on three hits, didn't walk a batter and struck out four.

Game Information
LIU Brooklyn 5, Bryant 4
Records: Bryant (15-10, 3-2 NEC), LIU Brooklyn (8-14, 2-3 NEC)
Location: LIU Field (Brooklyn, N.Y.)
W|L|S: Nick Torres (2-2) | Nathan Wrighter (1-2)

Coach Owens' Comments

"Two big hits from Nick and Jimmy and good at-bats from Jake and Shane but other than that our offensive approach wasn't good enough. We struck out too many times and didn't make the plays at the end when we had a chance to win the game. We made two defensive miscues that led to runs, including a big one in the inning they scored four times. You can't make those mistakes and expect to win."

Key Moment

  • After Bryant took a 2-1 lead, LIU answered with four runs in the next half inning to regain the lead.    

How it Happened

  • LIU got on the board in the first as a baserunning mistake turned into a run. Greg Vaughn was picked off with runners on the corners but the Bulldogs dropped the ball during the rundown, allowing a run to score.
  • It remained 1-0 until the fifth. Senior Tyler Panno (Rivervale, N.J.) collected Bryant's first hit of the game with a bunt single and junior James Ciliento (Mahwah, N.J.) followed with a single of his own. After a ground out, redshirt sophomore Jimmy Titus (Stafford, Conn.) ripped a two-run single off the left field wall to give the Bulldogs the lead.
  • The Blackbirds responded with four runs in the bottom of the fifth. LIU opened the inning with three-straight singles and a ground ball to third was dropped at home to allow the tying run to score. The Blackbirds tacked on three more runs with two singles and a sac fly.  
  • Bryant got within a run in the sixth as senior Nick Angelini (Bedford, N.H.) golfed a 1-2 pitch over the left field wall for a two-run home run.

Stats

  • LIU Brooklyn outhit Bryant, 9-7.
  • Junior Vito Morgese (Warwick, N.Y.) allowed four runs (two earned) on six hits, walked two and struck out four over four-plus innings.
  • Wrighter came on and pitched the final four innings. He allowed one unearned run on three hits. Wrighter didn't walk a batter and struck out four.
  • Ciliento finished 1-for-4 with a walk and a run scored.
  • Freshman Jake Gustin (Peabody, Mass.) went 1-for-3 with a pair of walks.
  • Titus had two hits and two RBI.
  • Sophomore Shane Kelly (Sewell, N.J.) reached base three times with two walks and a hit by pitch.
  • Angelini went 1-for-4 with a two-run home run.
  • Panno finished 1-for-3 with a run scored.  

Notes and Notables

  • Bryant falls to 32-14 all-time against LIU Brooklyn.
  • Bryant has hit 35 home runs in the first 25 games. The Bulldogs have hit 14 in their last five games.
  • Angelini has now had a hit and a run scored in each of Bryant's last 11 games.
  • Angelini now has 195 career hits, sixth-most in DI program history. He's also fourth in runs scored (155).
  • Angelini now has hit safely in each of his last 11.  
  • Angelini has homered in four of his last five games.
  • Angelini now has 18 career home runs, tied for second in DI program history and tied for 10th all-time.
  • Angelini has homered at least once against LIU Brooklyn in each of his four seasons.  
  • Titus posted multiple hits for the fourth time in his last five games.
  • Titus has now driven in 21 runs in the last eight games.
  • Ciliento has now hit safely in each of his last 14 games.
  • Ward saw his 13-game hitting streak come to a close.
  • Saturday was Wrighter's longest outing since he went 4 1/3 against Sacred Heart on May 11, 2017. It is just the second time in his career he's thrown at least four.
  • Wrighter also tied his career high with four strikeouts. He last accomplished the feat on May 19, 2017.

Up Next

Bryant and LIU Brooklyn wrap up their three-game series on Sunday. First pitch is scheduled for 1:00 p.m.