Bulldogs take 3 out of 4 against Bobcats

SMITHFIELD, R.I. – Senior Jordan English (Windsor Locks, Conn.) and sophomore Connor Carignan (Norwich, Conn.) both went yard while Salvatore Lisanti (Bronx, N.Y.) tossed a complete-game shutout, as the Bryant University baseball team toppled Quinnipiac University, 5-0, in the game-one seven inning contest but fell, 5-2, in the late game Sunday afternoon.

Bryant (26-23, 15-12 Northeast Conference) outhit the Bobcats (15-32, 11-21), 9-3, while the Bulldogs turned two double plays to keep the visitors off the scoreboard in the first outing. But the Bobcats nearly doubled up the home side in base knocks in the late contest, 11-6.

After a scoreless first in game one, English belted the pay-off pitch over the left field wall to put the Bulldogs up 1-0. Fellow senior Tim Norton (Barnstable, Mass.) followed up with a two-out double and would coe across courtesy of a RBI single by Adam Claire (Litchfield, Conn.).

After surrendering a hit in the first, Lisanti retired the side in order in the bottom of the second and third, while the offense added two more in the third.

Carignan led off with a solo shot over the right field wall in the top of the third before English picked up his second RBI in the outing with a sacrifice bunt down the first-baseline, allowing Kevin Brown (Northborough, Mass.) to touch home for the 4-0 advantage.

Lisanti (5-3) continued to mow down the Bobcats through the next three frames, as the sophomore finished the day having faced just 23 batters. His counterpart, Anthony Cinelli, took his fifth loss of the season.

In the bottom of the sixth, English led off with a walk and moved his way to second then third on wild pitches. Jamie Skagerlind (Holden, Mass.) then delivered a RBI single to right field, but was thrown out attempting to take second.

Lisanti would go onto wrap up the complete-game shutout, his first of the season.

In the night cap, Craig Schlitter (Guilford, Conn.) took the hill for the Black and Gold and started strong, allowing one hit through the first two frames, but exited the game in the top of the third after injuring himself.

The Bulldogs gave the rookie pitcher run support in the bottom of the second, as Brown knocked in Carignan on a standup triple to right field. Brown would eventually come across for the team's 2-0 lead on a balk.

The visitors would put up five runs in the top of third off of six hits, as Bryant began to subsitutie a number of pitchers, including Johnothan Cohen (Norwalk, Conn.) and Brian O'Neil (North Reading, Mass.).

From there, Quinnipiac starting pitcher Lamaccia controlled the Bryant lineup, allowing just two hits over the final seven to secure the 5-2 win and avoid the series sweep.

O'Neil would toss three scoreless, but Cohen would move to 1-3 on the season with the loss.

Prior to the twinbill, Bryant honored seven seniors who would be playing in their final games at the Baseball Complex. John Michael Ryan (Worcester, Mass.), Norton, English, Andrews, Dougherty, Griswold and O'Brien eached were honored prior to the first pitch for their dedication to Bryant Baseball.

With the split, Bryant finished the season 13-7 at home and 26-23 overall.

The Bulldogs will look to finish the 2011 season strong, with a four-game stand on the road in Teaneck, N.J. at Fairleigh Dickinson, starting on May 13.