Davitt shuts down CCSU in game one on Saturday

NEW BRITAIN, Conn. – Senior right-hander James Davitt (Wallingford, Conn.) tossed the first complete game of his career and posted his first-career shutout as the Bryant University baseball team defeated Central Connecticut 7-0 in the first game of Saturday's doubleheader at the CCSU Baseball Field.

The Bulldogs (13-4, 3-0 NEC) have now won four-straight games and are now 21-7 all-time against the Blue Devils (5-10, 0-3).

Davitt stole the show on Saturday for the Black and Gold, allowing just four hits and striking out four in a complete-game effort. He didn't walk a batter and threw just 80 pitches. Davitt allowed just two hits over the first six innings, a one-out single in the second and a leadoff single in the fourth. He pitched out of trouble in the sixth and seventh innings to finish the shutout.

In the sixth, an error put the leadoff runner on second for CCSU. Dean Lockery then hit a hard ground ball to the right side that junior Cole Fabio (Mahwah, N.J.) made a diving stop on for the first out. Davitt then snared a comebacker for the second out before junior Jacob Marotta (Bridgewater, N.J.) charged a slow ground ball at third to throw out Ryan Costello for the final out. In the seventh, back-to-back singles opened the inning but Davitt induced a 6-4-3 double play before striking out Tyler Coleman to end the game.

Bryant's offense put together a solid effort against CCSU starter Brett Susi. Fabio started the game with a leadoff double and came around to score on consecutive ground outs from junior Matt Albanese (East Haddam, Conn.) and senior Robby Rinn (Warwick, R.I.).

The game remained 1-0 until the Black and Gold opened the game up with a four-run fourth inning. Rinn singled and junior Brandon Bingel (Peabody, Mass.) followed with a double off the third base bag to put runners on second and third. A wild pitch scored Rinn to make it 2-0 and sophomore Mickey Gasper (Merrimack, N.H.) plated a second run with a bloop single to center. Two batters later, freshman Tyler Panno (Rivervale, N.J.) roped a two-run single into center to make it 5-0. It was the first-career hit and first-career RBIs for Panno.

Bryant completed its scoring with two runs in the fifth. Albanese singled, stole second and then scored on an RBI single to center from Rinn. Bingel moved Rinn to third with a single and Gasper drove him home with a sharp single to right.

Gasper had a career-high three hits and two RBI to lead the Bryant offense. Rinn finished 2-for-4 with two runs and two RBI, while Bingel chipped in two hits.

Susi fell to 2-2 after he allowed seven runs (six earned) on 11 hits over five innings. He walked one and struck out two.