NCAA Regionals: Baseball Drops Regional Opener to Adelphi 5-4; Will Play Wilmington Friday (11 a.m.).
BRYANT BASEBALL
May 17, 2007
NCAA Regionals: Baseball Drops Regional Opener to Adelphi 5-4; Will Play Wilmington Friday (11 a.m.).
RINDGE, N.H. - Making their fifth career appearance in the NCAA Tournament and first since 2002, the Bryant baseball team overcame 4-0 deficit, only to fall 5-4 to the second-seed Adelphi Panthers.
Bryant (32-23) will take on Wilmington College (DE) Friday at 11 a.m. in an elimination game.
Adelphi got on the board first as second-baseman Ralph Tropiano got the first Panther hit of the game, a two-out home-run over the right-center field fence.
The Panthers added to their lead in the fifth when Tropiano roped a bases-loaded single to right field to plate one run, and Rob DeGennaro lined a double to left-center to bring home two more and increase Adelphi's lead to 4-0.
Bryant stormed back in the sixth, scoring four times, as Nick Campbell (Raynham, Mass.) led off with an infield single and scored after a pop fly to right hit by Mike Rocco (Tewksbury, Mass.) was dropped by right-fielder Robert Calca. Calca then threw the ball over shortstop's Mike Colonna's head allowing Campbell to wheel all around the bases and score the two fielding errors. Catcher Jeff Vigurs (South Windsor, CT) then singled on the next pitch, moving Rocco to third; Vigurs advanced to second taking advantage of a poor relay throw. T.J. Magnell (Leominster, Mass.) followed with a two-run single to cut the lead to one, and with Magnell on second and one out, Dylan Stone (Portsmouth, RI) lined a single down the left-field line to cap off a four-run sixth inning and tie the game at four.
Starter Kevin Cobb (Acton, Mass.) and Eric Polvani (Wallingford, CT) combined to escape a bases-loaded one-out jam in the sixth as Cobb got Billy Neubauer to strike out and Polvani came in and got Tropiano to ground into a fielder's choice to end the threat.
The Panthers regained the lead off Polvani in the seventh as Bill Melillo singled home Colonna.
Mike McLasky, a starter turned reliever, came on for the final two innings, earning his fourth save of the season.
Cobb went 5.2 innings, allowing four runs on eight hits, while striking out two. Polvani (4-3) took the loss, allowing one run in 1.1 innings.
Sophomore hurler Bobby Lanigan used his overpowering fastball, striking out 11 Bulldog over seven innings, allowing four runs (three earned).
The Bulldogs will need to bounce back in an elimination game Saturday morning with first pitch at 11 a.m. The game will broadcast live on bryantbulldogs.com.
Linescore: Adelphi University 5, Bryant University 4 (May 17, 2007 at Rindge, N.H.) Bryant University... 000 004 000 - 4 9 3 (32-23) Adelphi University.. 001 030 10X - 5 11 5 (34-15) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Pitchers: Bryant University - Cobb; Polvani(6); Vuolo(8). Adelphi University - Lanigan; McLasky(8). Win-Lanigan(7-2) Save-McLasky(3) Loss-Polvani(4-3) T-2:20 A-150 HR ADELPHI - Tropiano (7).Northeast Regional Schedule:
Dr. Arthur & Martha Pappas Field
Rindge, N.H. - May 17-20
Thursday, May 17
Game 1: #6 Wilmington (29-18) 1 at #1 Franklin
Pierce (45-9), 4
Game 2: #5 Bryant (32-22) 4 vs.
#2 Adelphi (34-15), 5
Game 3: #4 Caldwell (24-13) vs. #3 UMass Lowell
(33-18), 6 p.m.
Friday, May 18
Game 4: Wilmington vs. Bryant, 11
a.m.
Game 5: Franklin Pierce vs. Loser game 3, 2:30
p.m.
Game 6: Adelphi vs. Winner game 3, 6 p.m.
Saturday, May 19
(if four teams remain after game 6)
Game 7: Winner game 5 vs. Winner game 6, 11 a.m.
Game 8: Winner game 4 vs. Loser game 6, 2:30
p.m.
Game 9: Winner game 8 vs. Loser game 7, 6 p.m.
Sunday, May 21
Game 10: Winner game 7 vs. Winner game 9, noon
Game 11: if necessary, 30 mins upon conclusion of
game 10
Saturday, May 20
(if five teams remain after game 6)
Game 7: Loser game 5 vs. Loser game 6, 11 a.m.
Game 8: Winner game 4 vs. Winner game 5, 2:30
p.m.
Game 9: Winner game 6 vs. Winner game 7, 6 p.m.
Sunday, May 21
(if two teams remain after game 9)
Game 10: Winner game 8 vs. Loser game 9, noon
Game 11: if necessary, 30 mins upon conclusion of
game 10
(if three teams remain after game 9)
Game 10: Winner game 8 vs. Loser game 9, noon
Game 11: Winner game 9 vs. Winner game 10, 3 p.m.