Bryant stuns Brown with 6-run 9th

PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Senior Nick Angelini's (Bedford, N.H.) grand slam in the top of the ninth capped a six-run inning and gave the Bryant University baseball team a thrilling 11-7 victory over Brown on Wednesday afternoon at Attanasio Family Field at Murray Stadium.

Things weren't going well for the Bulldogs on Wednesday as they trailed 7-2 after six innings and 7-5 heading into the top of the ninth. Back-to-back doubles quickly scored the first run of the ninth and an infield single tied the game two batters later. A hit by pitch then loaded the bases and Angelini cleared them with one swing of the bat, sending a hanging breaking ball over the left-center field fence for his second-career grand slam.

All nine starters collected at least one hit on Wednesday, with redshirt sophomore Ryan Ward (Millbury, Mass.) going 4-for-5 and freshman Brian Nicolas (Langhorne, Pa.) posting three hits, an RBI and a run scored. Sophomore Shane Kelly (Sewell, N.J.) had two hits and two RBI and Angelini scored twice in addition to his game-winning grand slam.

Game Information
Bryant 11, Brown 7
Records: Bryant (21-11), Brown (8-18)
Location: Attanasio Family Field (Providence, R.I.)
W|L|S: Jack Ipsen (1-0) | JJ Sliepka (2-2) | Nathan Wrighter (2)

Coach Owens' Comments

"With our offense we are never out of a game. We had good at-bats today but then we put them together without a bad one in between in the 9th. Wardo was locked in all day. In my opinion Brian Nicolas is the player of the game. He hasn't played much but he came in and played great defense and had three hits. Lot of different guys pitched well. Nate did a good job finishing up. We'll take it. We're going to rest up tomorrow and get ready for a home weekend."

Key Moment

• With the score tied 7-7 in the ninth, Angelini stepped to the plate and hammered a hanging breaking ball over the wall in left center for a grand slam.  

How it Happened

• Bryant got on the board first with a pair of two-out runs. Angelini walked with two outs and nobody on to start the rally, freshman Jake Gustin (Peabody, Mass.) followed with a single and Nicolas drove in a run with a bloop single to center. A walk then loaded the bases and Ward beat out an infield single to bring in the second run.
• Brown got a run back in the bottom of the second when Mark Sluys homered to left center. The Bears had a chance to score more but Nicolas snared a line drive and stepped on second to double off the runner and end the inning.    
• The Bears took the lead with a three-run fourth inning. A walk and a double put two on with one out and summoned redshirt junior Jack Owens (Scituate, R.I.) from the bullpen. He induced a ground ball back to the mound and flipped to first for the second out. Bryant had a chance to get the third out as the Brown runners got caught in a rundown but no out was recorded. The next batter then doubled to score both and later scored on an errant pickoff throw to make it 4-2.
• Brown extended its lead to 7-2 with three more runs in the sixth. Delano singled home the first run and Frank Caprio plated two with a two-out double that hit the chalk on the right field line.
• Bryant answered with three runs in the top of the seventh. Nicolas and junior Bryan Hart (Franklin, Mass.) opened the inning with back-to-back singles and advanced into scoring position on a fly out. A ground out scored Nicolas and an infield error plated Hart with the first two runs. After a walk, sophomore Sam Owens (Scituate, R.I.) singled through the left side to score a run but the inning ended abruptly as Owens was tagged out at first on a throw-behind.
• In the ninth, Ward led off with a double to right center and Kelly scored him with a double off the top of the wall in left. After a single, junior Chris Wright (Cumberland, R.I.) hit a ground ball to deep short for an infield single to tie the game. Owens was then hit to load the bases and Angelini unloaded them with his second-career grand slam.

Stats

• Sophomore Tyler Schoff (Lee Center, N.Y.) allowed three runs on four hits, walked two and struck out two over 3 1/3 innings.
• Jack Owens allowed three runs (two earned) on two hits in 1 2/3 innings of relief. He walked one and struck out three.
• Sophomore Will Treuel (Wolfeboro, N.H.) allowed one run on two hits, walked two and struck out three over 2 1/3 innings of relief.
• Junior Jack Ipsen (Eatontown, N.J.) recorded the final two outs of the eighth to earn the win.
• Senior Nathan Wrighter (Windsor, N.Y.) entered with two on and no outs in the 9th and struck out the side to earn his second save of the year.
• Ward finished 4-for-5 with a double, an RBI and a run scored.
• Wright went 2-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored.
• Sam Owens collected a hit, an RBI and a run scored.
• Angelini hit a grand slam and scored twice.
• Nicolas finished 3-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored.
• Hart went 1-for-2 with a walk and a run scored.  

Notes and Notables

• Bryant is now 12-6 against Brown in the Division I series history.
• Bryant swept the season series from the Bears.
• The Bulldogs won when trailing after eight innings for just the sixth time under coach Owens (6-127).
• Ward now has 11 hits over his last four games after posting his 8th-career four-hit game.
• Angelini is now third in DI program history with 162 runs scored. He needs just 10 more runs scored to tie the DI program record. Angelini ranks 6th in program history.
• Angelini also walked for the 97th time in his career, tying him with Kevin Brown for third in DI program history.
• Angelini's grand slam is the second of his career. He hit his other grand slam in May 2017 against URI.
• Angelini now has 19 career home runs and sits alone in second place in DI program history.
• Wright posted his 10th multi-hit game of the year and the 41st of his career.
• Nicolas posted his first-career three-hit game on Wednesday.
• Treuel registered a career high in innings pitched and matched his career high in strikeouts.
• Ipsen earned his first win since Apr. 18, 2017.
• Wrighter earned his second save of the year and the 11th of his career.

Up Next

Bryant returns to Conaty Park for a three-game non-conference weekend against Hartford. The series opens Friday at 3:00 p.m.