Baseball drops nail-biter, 3-2, to HBU

BULLDOGS FALL TO 0-2 WITH 3-2 LOSS TO HOUSTON BAPTIST

HOUSTON, Texas – The Bryant University baseball team put the tying runs in scoring position in each of the final three innings but could not produce the key hit as they fell to Houston Baptist, 3-2, on Saturday afternoon at Husky Field.

For the second-straight game the Bulldogs (0-2) made a late run but were again unable to complete the comeback. The Huskies (4-2) used another strong pitching performance and a big inning to win their third-straight game.

Trailing, 3-1, Bryant continued to fight throughout, putting the tying runs in scoring position in the seventh, eighth and ninth innings. In the seventh, Sophomore Matt Zanotta (Schenectady, N.Y.) singled with one out and sophomore Daniel St. George (Shelton, Conn.) was hit by a pitch to put two runners on. Freshman Dan Cellucci (Sudbury, Mass.) flew out to center for the second out of the inning but both Zanotta and St. George were able to advance into scoring position. They would be stranded there, however.

The Bulldogs kept the pressure on in the eighth and pulled within one thanks to a pair of Huskies miscues. Senior Kevin Brown (Northborough, Mass.) reached on a fielding error at first to start the rally, junior Tom Gavitt (North Stonington, Conn.) walked and both moved into scoring position on a wild pitch. Freshman Robby Rinn's (Warwick, R.I.) ground ball to third was then bobbled, allowing him to reach safely and scoring Brown from third to make it 3-2. But, for the second-straight game, Gonzalez was summoned from center field and induced an inning-ending 4-3 double play with one pitch.

In the ninth, St. George gave Bryant hope with a one-out single through the left side. Freshman Daniel Palazzo (Rocky Hill, Conn.) drew a pinch-hit walk to put runners on first and second with just one out. Gonzalez, however, got out of the jam again as senior Dan Muscatello (Hopkinton, Mass.) lined out to short and St. George was doubled off at second to end the game.

Bryant scored first with great team baseball. St. George led off the third inning with a single through the left side and moved to second on a sac bunt from Cellucci. Muscatello followed with a sharp single up the middle to score St. George and give the Bulldogs a 1-0 lead.

HBU battled back to take its first lead with three runs in the fourth inning. CJ Jarvis led off with a single up the middle, Jordan McCoy was hit by a pitch and Jake Gonzalez laid down a perfect bunt to load the bases with no outs. Samm Wiggins and Curtis Jones followed with consecutive sac flies and Mike Chamberlain flared a single into left field to make it 3-1.

For the second straight day the Huskies got a strong performance from their starting pitcher. After allowing a run in the third, Ryan Lower didn't allow a hit over the next 3.2 innings, allowing his team to take the lead. He walked one, hit a batter and worked around a pair of infield errors to keep the Black and Gold at bay.

The Huskies threatened to stretch their lead in the sixth inning but the Bulldogs were able to escape with a strong defensive play. A single and an infield error put runners on the corners with one out but reliever Joseph Michaud (Milford, Conn.) induced a ground ball to short that Muscatello and Cellucci turned into an inning-ending 6-4-3 double play.

Despite a tough fourth inning, junior Craig Schlitter (Guilford, Conn.) had a strong first start. He lasted five innings, allowing three runs on six hits while striking out four without issuing a walk. Schlitter worked a perfect first, picked off a runner following a second-inning single and then worked around a two-out single in the third. Michaud came on in the sixth and worked three scoreless innings, allowing just one hit while striking out three.

St. George finished the afternoon with a pair of hits and Muscatello picked up his third RBI of the series with his single in the third inning.

The Bulldogs and Huskies wrap up their three-game series on Sunday afternoon at 1:30 p.m. EST. Sophomore Kevin McAvoy (Syracuse, N.Y.) will start for the Bulldogs.