BRYANT COMPLETES SERIES SWEEP WITH 8-6 WIN OVER HOUSTON BAPTIST SUNDAY AFTERNOON
SMITHFIELD, R.I. - David Soltis (Plainville, Conn.) went 3-for-5 at the plate and Daniel St. George (Shelton, Conn.) drove in four runs as the Bryant University baseball team topped Houston Baptist, 8-6, Sunday afternoon at Husky Field to complete the three-game sweep over the Huskies and improve to 3-3 on the young season.
Freshman Craig Schlitter (Guilford, Conn.) took the mound for the Bulldogs, allowing four earned runs and five hits while striking out seven. Jonathan Cohen (Norwalk, Conn.) (1-0) picked up the win in relief and Mark Andrews (Hillsborough, N.J.) punched out four batters over 1.2 innings en route to his first save of the 2011 campaign.
The visiting Bulldogs wasted no time getting on the board, as freshman Joseph Carcone (New Hartford, N.Y.) led things off with a double to center field. Senior Jordan English (Windsor Locks, Conn.) would reach first on a walk before both runners would advance on a double steal, allowing Carcone to cross home plate after Soltis singled to left. St. George would reach base on a fielding error by the Husky infield allowing English to cross home, giving Bryant the early 2-0 lead.
The home side would answer with a run of their own on a home run by Robbie Buller, cutting the lead, 2-1, at the end of the first frame.
The bats of Bryant would come alive, registering three runs over the next two innings. Senior Tim Norton (Barnstable, Mass. ), who went 2-for-4 on the afternoon, reached base on a single and was able to steal second setting up a sacrifice RBI by Carcone. St. George would deliver once again, tripling to center field in the top of the third inning, bringing home Soltis for his second RBI of the afternoon, giving Bryant a 5-1 lead at the end of three.
After a scoreless fourth, Houston Baptist would muster together a rally of its own, picking up three runs in the bottom half of the fifth on three hits including a double by catcher Corey Hail to tie things at 5 runs apiece.
The Bulldogs would add two more in the top half of the seventh frame to make it 6-5, as St. George was thrown out at second but not before he picked up his third and fourth RBI.
The Huskies would threaten with a second homer from Buller in the bottom of the seventh but sophomore Kevin Brown (Northborough, Mass.) removed any doubt with his second home run of the season, giving the Bulldogs an 8-6 victory and the series sweep.
St. George registered a game-high 4 RBIs on two hits, while Brown, Carcone and Soltis each added one. The Bulldogs now have won three straight games after dropping the first three to start the season.
The Bulldogs are back in action starting March 4, as the team will hit the road for a six-game road trip starting with a three-game series with ACC contender Virginia Tech.