#2 Bulldogs Hang on for Wild 12-10 Win Over #1 Franklin Pierce; Teams Play Winner-Take-All Second Game at 3pm
Bulldogs Hold off Franklin Pierce to Force Regional Championship Game
May 19, 2008
Rindge, NH - The #2 Bryant Bulldogs have forced a winner-take-all NCAA Regional championship with #1 Franklin Pierce with a wild 12-10 win Monday afternoon. The Bulldogs and Ravens will now play a game to decide which team will represent the Northeast in the College World Series.
Bryant closer Eric Polvani (Wallingford, Conn.) nailed down a school record 13th save after a back-and-forth contest.
The Bulldogs went ahead for good with a Pat O'Connor home run in the fifth inning off Franklin Pierce's ace closer Tyler Bishop. O'Connor's three-run, two out blast to right field gave the Bulldogs a 8-7 lead.
The Bulldogs enjoyed a short-lived 7-3 lead after McKenna's three-run blast to right center in the bottom of the fourth. Jeff Vigurs ( South Windsor, Conn.) also had an RBI single in the inning. However, the Ravens fought back in the top of the fifth with a five-run frame highlighted by a two-run home run by Kevin Rivers that chased Bryant starter Kevin Cobb (Acton, Mass.) from the game.
After a home run by Kevin Renaud off Luke Cowan (Houston, Texas) cut the lead to one in the seventh, coach Jamie Pinzino went to senior reliever Adam Vuolo (Walpole, Mass.) who got All-Region shortstop out to end the threat.
The Bulldogs would tack on two more off Bishop in the bottom of the inning before Pierce answered back with a run in the eighth to cut the lead to 12-10.
O'Connor led the Bryant offensive charge with four RBI and four runs and Vigurs finished with three hits. Cowan (3-2) would pick up the win for the Bulldogs while Bishop took the loss.
Game time for the second game is set for 3:00pm.
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