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#2 Bulldogs Eliminate #5 Dowling at NCAA Regionals With 15-4 Win
Posted: May 17, 2008

#2 Bulldogs Eliminate #5 Dowling at NCAA Regionals With 15-4 Win

Box Score

#2 Bulldogs' Bats Stay Hot Against Dowling as Bryant Batters Golden Lions 11-3 at NCAA Northeast Regional

 May 17, 2008     Box Score

 Rindge, NH - After throttling C.W. Post 10-3 yesterday, the #2 Bulldogs' bats stayed hot for a 15-4 win over #5 Dowling to advance at the NCAA Northeast Regionals. Pat O'Connor (Mattapoisset, Mass.) and Jeff Vigurs (South Windsor, Conn.) led a balanced offensive attack and David O'Brien (Whitman, Mass.) shut down the Golden Lions to send the Bulldogs to a matchup with Caldwell tomorrow.

 The Bulldogs got revenge on the team that sent them to the loser's bracket in their first game of the tournament. Dowling defeated Bryant 7-6 Thursday afternoon, but the Bulldogs had no such problems with the Lions Saturday night, battering Dowling pitching for 17 hits.

 O'Connor got the scoring started for the Bulldogs with an opposite field home run in the top of the second inning. It was O'Connor's second home run of the tournament and the left fielder ended the game two for two with two RBI and four runs. The Bulldogs would add two more in the inning on a Dave Muscatello (Hopkinton, Mass.) RBI single and a fielder's choice by Jordan English (Windsor Locks, Conn.).

 The Bulldogs would tack on three more in the third and four more in the fourth to put the game out of reach. The offense provided more than enough support for O'Brien. The freshman was solid in his first NCAA Tournament start, going the full nine innings while striking out eight and allowing 8 hits.

 Dowling's only offense came on a deep home run by Chris Caputo in the second inning and a three run fifth inning.

 Every starter but Jason Alexander (Simsbury, Conn.) collected a hit for the Bulldogs and every starter reached base on the night. Vigurs knocked three doubles in the game and drove in five runs. Nick Campbell (Raynham, Mass.) also added three hits and three runs for the Bulldogs. Muscatello also collected three hits and three RBI.

 The win moves the Bulldogs to the loser's bracket championship game tomorrow against Caldwell at 12 noon. The Cougars lost to Franklin Pierce 16-4 earlier Saturday. The winner of that game will have to beat #1 Franklin Pierce twice to advance to the College World Series, once tomorrow and then again Monday. The loss ends the season for Dowling, who joins C.W. Post and Southern Connecticut as teams eliminated from the Northeast regional.

Bryant University 15, Dowling College 4 (May 17, 2008 at Rindge, N.H.)
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Bryant University... 033 414 000  - 15 17  2      (41-20)
Dowling College..... 010 030 000  -  4  8  3      (29-19)
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Pitchers: Bryant University - David O'Brien. Dowling College - Duran, G; Barry, R(4);
McCormack, K(7); Faulkner, R(9).
Win-David O'Brien(7-1)  Loss-Duran, G(4-3)  T-2:41  A-54
HR BRY - Pat O'Connor (10).
HR DOWLINGB - Caputo, C (2).
Game: NCAANE08

REVISED SCHEDULE (AS OF 5/17)

Saturday, May 17
Game 6: #5 Dowling vs. #4 Caldwell, 3 p.m.
Game 7: #1 Franklin Pierce vs. #4 Caldwell, 6 p.m.
Game 8: #2 Bryant vs. #5 Dowling, 9:30 p.m.

Sunday, May 18
Game 9: Caldwell vs. Bryant, 12 p.m.
Game 10: Franklin Pierce vs. Game 9 Winner, 5:30 p.m.

Monday, May 19
Game 11: If necessary, noon