BASEBALL CONCLUDES ROAD TRIP WITH 7-5 LOSS TO WEST VIRGINIA

March 11, 2010

BRYANT BASEBALL FALLS TO WEST VIRGINIA 7-5 THURSDAY
Bulldog Return Home Next Wednesday Hosting Boston College in Home Opener

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Sophomore Connor Carignan drove in four runs Thursday against West Virginia. www.dspics.com

MORGANTOWN, WVA – The Bryant University baseball team concluded its 10-game season-opening road trip with a tough 7-5 loss at West Virginia in non-conference action Thursday afternoon. 

Looking to ride the momentum from Wednesday’s win over Virginia Tech, the Bulldogs raced out to an early lead on the Mountaineers.  Dylan Stone (Portsmouth, R.I.) led off the game with a single down the left field line and moved up to second on a sacrifice bunt by Nick Campbell (Raynham, Mass.).  After Jeff Vigurs (South Windsor, Conn.) drew a walk, Kevin Brown (Northborough, Mass.) reached on a fielder’s choice after an errant throw by West Virginia, but good base running allowed Stone to score to put the Bulldogs up 1-0.

After West Virginia tied it up with a run in the bottom of the second inning, the Bulldogs plated two more runs in the fourth.  Brown, who has hit safely in nine of the first 10 games of his career, led off the inning with a single and moved over to third on another throwing error by the Mountaineers after fielding a bunt by Jordan English (Windsor Locks, Conn.) who reached safely on the play. 

Brown would be cut down at the plate trying to score on a grounder by Jamie Skagerlind (Holden, Mass.).  After David Soltis (Plainville, Conn.) drew a walk to load the bases, Zakary Cianciolo (Prospect, Conn.) popped up to first, but sophomore Connor Carignan (Norwich, Conn.) came through with a double to left to score both Skagerlind and English.

West Virginia would rally as the hosts, playing a home for the first time this season, pulled within 3-2 with a run in the fifth and added two more to take a 4-3 lead.  The Mountaineers led 5-3 heading into the eighth, but Bryant would rally with two runs on one swing of the bat by Cianciolo to tie the game at 5-5.

West Virginia would score twice in the bottom of the inning to lead 7-5.  In its final at-bat in the ninth, Bryant would put the tying run on base but WVU’s Chris Enourato, who came on in relief in the middle of the inning, would close the door on the Bulldogs.

Carignan finished the day going 2-for-4 at the plate with a career-high four RBIs while English and Stone each had two hits.  Eric Polvani (Wallingford, Conn.) went 5 2/3 innings allowing four runs on nine hits and striking out four.

Bryant will return home next Wednesday hosting Boston College in the 2010 home opener.  First pitch at the Bryant Baseball Complex is set for 3:30 p.m.