Baseball splits with Virginia Tech

SMITHFIELD, R.I. – Sophomore Peter Kelich (Jackson, N.J.) went 6.1 strong innings on the hill and senior Mark Andrews (Hillsborough, N.J.) came in to shut the door in relief as the Bryant University baseball team downed Virginia Tech, 3-2, in the first game of a doubleheader to gain a split Friday at English Field.

Both pitching staffs limited the opposing lineups to just five hits in the opening game as Kelich allowed two earned runs and fanned five to pick up his first win of the season while Andrews went 1.2 innings for his second save.

Bryant (4-4) opened up the scoring in the top of the second as Jamie Skagerlind (Holden, Mass.) drew a two-out walk and Tim Norton (Barnstable, Mass.) followed with a single, setting up Mike DelPonte (Tewksbury, Mass.) with a double to drive in both for the early 2-0 advantage.

The Bulldogs came right back to add another run in the third as a one-out RBI single by Kevin Brown drove in Joseph Carcone (New Hartford, N.Y.) for the 3-0 lead.

Virginia Tech (8-3) chipped away over the course of the game, scoring in the bottom of the fifth on an RBI double by Matt Blow and then again in the bottom of the seventh on an RBI single from Andrew Rash to trim Bryant's lead to 3-2.

With Andrews in to close out the final five outs, the Hokies led off the bottom of the ninth with Tim Smalling reaching on an error, but the closer managed three consecutive outs, including a game-ending double play to secure the victory.

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In the second game, Virginia Tech starter Marc Zecchino was impressive on the mound, limiting the Bulldogs to just two hits in eight scoreless innings while striking out eleven for the win.

Sophomore Salvatore Lisanti (Bronx, N.Y.) took the loss for Bryant, working 5.1 innings for four earned runs and three strikeouts.

The Hokies first struck in the bottom of the first as a three-run homer by Rash gave the home side the early lead. Virginia Tech added one more in the third, once again by the bat of Rash on an RBI single for the 4-0 lead as the Hokies, behind the pitching of Zecchino, cruised to salvage a split in the doubleheader.

Due to impending weather, the Bulldogs and Hokies will finish the four-game set with another doubleheader on Saturday, starting with the first game at 11 a.m.