Bryant caught in pitchers' duel, splits DH

SMITHFIELD, R.I. – Despite outhitting the opposition by a combined 14-6 margin, the Bryant University baseball team split the Saturday twinbill against Wagner College at Richmond County Ballpark in Staten Island, N.Y.

The Bulldogs (12-15, 4-7 NEC) took the first game, 1-0, but fell in the late contest, 2-0, to the Seahawks (10-18, 8-7 NEC), giving Wagner a 2-1 advantage in the four-game series heading into Sunday.

Sophomore righty Salvatore Lisanti (Bronx, N.Y.) mowed down the Seahawks lineup en route to throwing five shutout innings, as Bryant took game one of the Saturday doubleheader against Wagner, 1-0.

Lisanti (2-2) earned his second win of the season, while his counterpart Dale Hering, threw 7.0 innings allowing two walks and eight hits. The Bronx native started the outing by retiring the side in the first frame and allowing just one hit through the next three innings. IN what proved to be a pitching duel, neither team could find its comfort in the batters' box, combing for 11 total hits and just two extra base knocks.

The Bulldogs were the first and only side to strike, as Dan Muscatello (Hopkinton, Mass.) connected on a one-out double to center field in the top of the fifth, his third on the season, placing a runner in scoring position for the Bryant. The Massachusetts native would advance to third on a wild pitch, setting up slugger David Soltis (Plainville, Conn.) for a RBI-double to left field, giving the visitors a 1-0 edge after five.

That is all the scoring Bryant would need, as Lisanti would then give way to senior lefty Mark Andrews (Hillsborough, N.J.), who tossed two innings of one-hit ball for his sixth save on the year, giving the Bulldogs the 1-0 win.

Soltis finished with a game-high three hits while Muscatello and Joseph Carcone (New Hartford, N.Y.) each chipped in with two hits.

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In the late game the offensive struggles continued for both sides, with both Craig Schlitter (Guilford, Conn.) and Wagner's Jon Lucas allowing a combined nine hits in the seven-inning game on the mound.

The Bulldogs had an opportunity in the top of the fourth to jump out on top with the bases loaded and two outs, but squandered the chance, as Lucas forced Carcone into a groundout to end the threat, leaving three runners on to end the frame.

Wagner finally broke the seal in the bottom of the fifth, as Joe Conforti picked up an unearned run after an errant throw by the Bryant infield. The home side would push the lead out to, 2-0, in the bottom of the sixth off the bat of Kevin McDonnell, as the right fielder went yard over the left field fence.

Colin Shepard (Boxford, Mass.) and Tim Norton (Barnstable, Mass.) recorded a game-high two hits a piece while Jordan English (Windsor Locks, Conn.) and Carcone accounted for one hit, respectively.

With the loss, Schlitter moves to 0-2 on the season and the Bulldogs move to 4-2 in two-run games this season. Bryant is now 10-4 when outhitting the opposition and have dropped to 7-13 in road games this year.

The Black and Gold look to split the series in the four-game finale Sunday, April 10. First pitch from Richmond County Ballpark is scheduled for 1 p.m. and fans can follow live stats at www.bryantbulldogs.com.