Bulldogs reach 30 wins for 6th str. year

BULLDOGS REACH 30-WIN PLATEAU FOR SIXTH-STRAIGHT YEAR WITH DH SPLIT

WEST LONG BRANCH, N.J. – Sophomore Joseph Michaud (Milford, Conn.) allowed two runs on six hits and senior Jamie Skagerlind (Holden, Mass.) drove in three runs as the Bryant University baseball team earned a split with Monmouth on Saturday afternoon in a Northeast Conference doubleheader at the MU Baseball Field.

The Hawks (31-20, 19-8 NEC) got a complete-game, three-hit shutout from Andrew McGee to beat the Bulldogs (30-19, 21-6 NEC) in the first game. With the 6-2 game two victory, Bryant has now won 30 games in six-straight seasons and holds a two-game lead over Monmouth for first place in the NEC standings.

Game One

Senior Connor Carignan (Norwich, Conn.) had all three hits for the Black and Gold in the first game, including a pair of doubles. He ripped a double to start the game and stole third with one out but was stranded there. The Bulldogs didn't get another runner past first until the sixth inning when Carignan led off with a double for the second time. In the sixth, Carignan got as far as third but was stranded there.

Monmouth scored the only runs they would need in the bottom of the second. Danny Avella, Chris Perret and Craig Sweeney started the inning with three consecutive hits to make it 1-0 and Kyle Perry's bases-loaded ground out forced in a second run.

McGee did the rest, striking out seven and walking just one in the complete-game shutout. Bryant starter Craig Schlitter (Guilford, Conn.) pitched well in defeat, allowing just six hits while striking out five.

Game Two

Michaud held the Hawks offense hitless over the middle innings and the Bulldogs scored a pair of runs in three separate innings to earn the split.

Unable to score in the first inning of game one, the Bulldogs did not miss their chance in game two. Junior Dan Muscatello (Hopkinton, Mass.) doubled and junior Kevin Brown (Northborough, Mass.) was hit by a pitch to put two runners on. After fighting off three-straight 3-2 pitches, Skagerlind ripped a double to right-center to score both runners.

Monmouth cut the lead in half in the second inning. Craig Sweeny singled and Jamie Rosenkranz doubled to start the inning and Perry flew out to left to score Sweeney with the first run. Rosenkranz went to third on the play and tried to score on a Jon Guida ground ball to third but freshman John Mullen (Walpole, Mass.) was able to throw him out at the plate. Michaud escaped further damage in the inning by stranding runners on first and second with a strikeout.

The Bulldogs got the run right back in the top of the third. Muscatello and Mullen singled to put runners on the corners with two outs and Skagerlind came through with a single to center that scored Muscatello. Mullen would also score on the play as the throw to third got away.

Bryant tacked on two more runs in the sixth inning. Senior David Soltis (Plainville, Conn.) reached on a throwing error to start the inning and his pinch-runner Ben Lipper (Westport, Conn.) stole second. Freshman Carl Anderson (Sudbury, Mass.) moved him to third with a bunt single and Carignan scored a run with a fielder's choice ground ball to second. The throw back to first was wild allowing Carignan to go to second and he immediately stole third and scored as Muscatello singled through a drawn in infield to make it 6-1.

The run support was enough for Michaud who tossed his first career complete game and earned his seventh win. After allowing the single run on three hits in the second, Michaud faced just one batter over the minimum over the next four innings. He walked the leadoff batter in the third but senior Mike DelPonte (Tewksbury, Mass.) erased the runner as he tried to take second on a pitch in the dirt. Michaud issued another walk in the fourth but Muscatello started an inning-ending 6-3 double play. He worked around a one-out walk in the fifth with a strikeout and then leapt to snare a comebacker. The right-hander recorded his only 1-2-3 inning in the sixth and got help from Anderson in left to leave two runners on base to end the game. With a run already in, Anderson raced into left-center field and laid out to make a beautiful diving catch for the final out.

Michaud finished the afternoon with four walks and seven strikeouts. Muscatello led the Bulldogs with three hits and two runs scored.

The Bulldogs and the Hawks will finish their four-game series on Sunday with a 1:00 p.m. first pitch.