ALEXANDER RECORDS 200TH CAREER HIT IN NO. 2 BRYANT'S 7-6 LOSS TO NO. 5 DOWLING IN THURSDAY'S NCAA NORTHEAST REGIONAL FIRST ROUND
May 15, 2008
NCAA NORTHEAST REGIONAL TOURNAMENT
ALEXANDER POSTS 200TH CAREER HIT IN NO. 2 BRYANT'S 7-6 LOSS TO NO. 5 DOWLING IN NCAA NORTHEAST REGIONAL TOURNAMENT FIRST ROUND
Alexander also sets new Bryant records for career starts and career appearances; Loh sets new career innings pitched mark
RINDGE, NH - The second-seeded Bryant University baseball team scattered 15 hits but left 12 on base, falling to fifth-seeded Dowling College, 7-6, in NCAA Northeast Regional Tournament action Thursday afternoon at Pappas Field.
The loss is the third-straight one-run loss for the Bulldogs (39-20), who are still struggling to turn things around in 2008 postseason action after a stellar regular season.
But again, it was Bryant who threatened first. With aluminum bats in their hands, the Bulldogs put two runners in scoring position with two outs for catcher Jeff Vigurs (South Windor, Conn.). But Dowling hurler Brent Lotito struck the catcher out swinging to strand them both.
Bryant ace Eric Loh (Old Greenwich, Conn.) would not be as lucky, in the top of the second and third, as the Golden Lions would score twice each frame.
In the second, Dowling made Loh and the Bulldogs pay for a leadoff walk and subsequent hit batter, scoring both on a sacrifice fly followed by an RBI single to left off the bat of Matt Monastero for a 2-0 lead.
Three consecutive hits and a sacrifice fly upped Dowling's lead to 4-0 entering the bottom of the third.
But a big four-run bottom of the third brought Bryant's starter back to even for the fourth frame, as the Bulldogs knocked out five hits and some gutsy base-running to even the score at 4-4.
Highlighting the four-run half-inning was the 200th career hit of senior tri-captain and starting third baseman Jason Alexander (Simsbury, Conn.) - a double into right centerfield. Alexander, a First Team All-Conference and First Team All-Region selection, would represent the second run of the inning for Bryant, scoring on a two-RBI single into left center from cleanup hitter Pat O'Connor (Mattapoisett, Mass.).
Vigurs would follow O'Connor's hit with an RBI down the leftfield line to score Nick Campbell (Raynham, Mass.) before shortstop Pat McKenna (Orange, Conn.) scored O'Connor with an infield single of his own.
Loh settled down in the fourth to retire Dowling in order, and the Bulldogs took their first lead of the game in the home half of the frame, when second baseman Dave Muscatello (Hopkinton, Mass.) doubled to left center to lead off the inning and was plated by a sacrifice fly off the bat of first baseman Dylan Stone (Portsmouth, RI).
The Golden Lions knotted the contest at 5-5 in the top of the six, aided by a pair of errors by rightfielder Taylor Ferguson (Charlton, Mass.), but the Bulldogs would retake the lead in the bottom half of the frame.
Alexander led off the half-inning with hit No. 201, a single to left and moved into scoring position on a Stone sacrifice bunt. Fellow All-Region First Teamer Campbell plated the go-ahead run with a double to right centerfield a batter later to hand a 6-5 advantage back to Loh.
Lefty Mark Andrews (Hillsborough, NJ) took over for Loh in the eighth, but let up the tying run in a two-hit eighth before Bryant was retired in order in their own half of the inning.
Bryant coach Jamie Pinzino sent closer Eric Polvani (Wallingford, Conn.) to the mound to face the heart of Dowling's order in the top of the ninth. With one out, Kevin Reese lined an offering back to the hill to get on, stealing second before moving to third on a wild pitch two batters later.
A looper into rightfield from Colin Barnathan plated the go-ahead run for the Golden Lions, giving them a 7-6 edge heading into the final half-frame.
With one out, McKenna ripped a single back up the middle, advancing to third on an error by the Dowling centerfielder and an intentional walk put runners at the corners for designated hitter Mark Dondero (Medfield, Mass.). But back-to-back pop-ups to second base from Dondero and Muscatello would strand the tying run just 90 feet from home to hand Bryant its first loss of the double-elimination NCAA Northeast Regional.
The Bulldogs stranded 12 in their third-straight one-run loss, despite outhitting Dowling, 15-14. Polvani took the loss for Bryant, moving to 1-2 on the year, while Buddy Cipoletti (1-1) earned the win, allowing one hit in 1.1 innings of work. Joe Trainor notched his seventh save of the season.
McKenna led the Bulldogs on the day, going 4-for-5 from the plate with an RBI, while both Alexander and Muscatello recorded 3-for-5 days. Alexander added two runs scored while Muscatello scored once. Reese paced the Golden Lions with a 4-for-5 day and two runs scored.
No. 2 Bryant will next face off against No. 6 C.W. Post - the 16-2 losers to No. 1 Franklin Pierce in Thursday's early game - in a win-or-go-home matchup Friday at 11:00 a.m at Pappas Field. The Bulldogs and Pioneers have met once earlier this season, with Bryant posting a 10-4 victory.