Baseball opens wknd. series with Maine

BULLDOGS HOST MAINE FOR THREE-GAME WEEKEND SERIES 

BASEBALL WEEKLY

SMITHFIELD, R.I. – The Bryant University baseball team continues its four-game homestand this weekend, hosting the University of Maine at Conaty Park for three games starting on Friday, March 23 at 3:00 p.m.

Friday's series opener will be just the second meeting between the Bulldogs (9-9) and the Black Bears (6-12). The Black and Gold won the only meeting, taking a 9-3 decision at home in the 2009 season.

Last year's America East champion, Maine closes out its Rhode Island swing with three games in Smithfield. The Black Bears started their trip on Thursday, falling to Brown University, 22-4. Since starting their season with a big win over Clemson, the Black Bears have struggled with consistency, dropping four-straight at the beginning of March, and have won just three of their last nine games entering Friday.

Sophomore Colin Gay leads Maine at the plate, hitting .329 with three doubles, a home run, nine RBI and nine runs scored. Alex Calbick as provided most of the power, registering team highs in doubles (7) and RBI (11). As a team, the Black Bears are hitting .253 and have nearly close to five runs per game.

On the mound, the Black Bears have had some troubles, allowing opponents to hit .309 while allowing over seven runs per game. Friday's starter, junior Steve Perakslis, sports the best ERA for Maine's starters at 3.38. He's 0-2 in four starts, working 26 2/3 innings on the season. The Black Bears will follow with two-time All-America East right-hander Jeffrey Gibbs on Saturday. Gibbs won eight games last season but is 0-3 with a 10.31 after four starts this year. Depending on the first two games, Maine will either go with Shaun Coughlin (1-2, 5.32) or Mike Connolly (1-2, 6.63) in the series finale on Sunday.

After having their five-game winning streak snapped on Wednesday, the Bulldogs will be looking to get back on track in their first home weekend of the season. The Black and Gold mustered just six hits against Boston College and are hitting .250 as a team entering the weekend. Juniors Dan Muscatello (Hopkinton, Mass.) and Kevin Brown (Northborough, Mass.) have sparked the Bulldogs from the top of the lineup, combining for 22 RBI and 33 runs. Muscatello had three of Bryant's hits against the Eagles and is hitting .286, while Brown's seven home runs and 19 runs scored pace the Bulldog offense. Senior Mike DelPonte (Tewksbury, Mass.) is hitting .322 and leads the team with nine walks and a .438 on-base percentage.

Sporting a 4.67 team ERA, the Bulldogs will send junior Peter Kelich (Jackson, N.J.) to the mound on Friday and follow with sophomores Craig Schlitter (Guilford, Conn.) and Joseph Michaud (Milford, Conn.) on Saturday and Sunday. Kelich has been the staff ace so far this season, fashioning a 3-1 record and a 1.97 ERA in 32 innings. He's allowed just 22 hits and has struck out 26 while walking just 11. Kelich hasn't allowed more than six hits in any of his five starts this season and is coming off a complete game, eight-strikeout performance against Mount St. Mary's last weekend. Schlitter is 1-3 with a 3.63 ERA, including a dominating performance against The Mount in which he allowed just two unearned runs on three hits over seven innings. Michaud picked up his first win since his opening weekend victory over Wright St., striking out a season-high seven batters over six innings against the Mountaineers last weekend.

Out of the bullpen, junior Salvatore Lisanti (Bronx, N.Y.) has made a smooth transition to the closer role. After surrendering two runs on four hits against George Mason on March 4, Lisanti has tossed 6 1/3 scoreless innings over his last five appearances, striking out four without issuing a walk. On the season, he is 0-1 with four saves and a 1.50 ERA. Another reliever that has shown promise is freshman left-hander Trevor Lacosse (Watervliet, N.Y.). The rookie southpaw had his best outing of the season against BC on Wednesday, striking out four batters over three scoreless innings. Over his last four appearances, he's allowed just one unearned run on five hits over seven innings, lowering his ERA to 3.27 in the process.

Game one on Friday will be broadcast live on the Bryant Sports Network and can be viewed online at bryantbulldogs.tv. Saturday's and Sunday's games are both scheduled for 1:00 p.m., with Sunday's game also being broadcast on the Bryant Sports Network.