Bulldogs drop back-and-forth affair to Hartford, 9-8, Wednesday

SMITHFIELD, R.I. – The University of Hartford collected 16 hits and rallied from four different deficits to defeat the Bryant University baseball team, 9-8, on Wednesday afternoon at Conaty Park.

The 16 hits are the most allowed by the Bulldogs (14-5) this season, while the loss snaps their five-game winning streak. The Hawks (11-5) have now won three-straight and five of their last six overall and back-to-back games against Bryant.

Wednesday's game was offensive slugfest during the middle innings but the Hawks' bullpen stole the show with four shutdown innings of relief at the end of the game. The quartet of John LaRossa, Seth Pinkerton and Sebastian DiMauro combined to allow just one hit and struck out four batters in four innings of relief. LaRossa earned the win with two innings of hitless of relief and DiMauro earned his third save of the season.

Trailing for the entire game, Hartford grabbed its first and only lead of the afternoon in the seventh off Bryant relief specialist Justin Snyder (Georgetown, Mass.). Erik Ostberg walked and Ben Bengston singled to open the inning for the Hawks but Ostberg ran into the first out at third on a caught stealing. The next three hitters all singled, however, as Chris Sullivan tied the game with a bunt single and Ashton Bardzell gave the Hawks the lead with a single through the left side.

Hartford's seventh inning ended a back-and-forth afternoon between two teams that were ranked in the top five in this week's NEIBA poll. Bryant, who was ranked first, scored three runs in the second to get on the board first Wednesday. Four-consecutive singles from senior Buck McCarthy (Saugus, Mass.), junior Brandon Bingel (Peabody, Mass.), senior AJ Zarozny (Shrewsbury, Mass.) and classmate Zach Wood (Griswold, Conn.) produced the three runs. Zarozny singled to center to score a run and Wood plated a pair with a single to left.

The Hawks answered right back in the top of the third, starting a string of six-straight scoring at-bats for the two teams. A walk and a single chased Bryant starter Garrison Banas (Hadley, Mass.) and Dalton Ruch advanced both with a sac bunt. A walk loaded the bases and David MacKinnon delivered a two-run single to make it 3-2. Ostberg then tied the game with a single to left field.

Bryant quickly answered with two more runs in the bottom of the third. Junior Cole Fabio (Mahwah, N.J.) led off with a single and then came around to score on a double from classmate Matt Albanese (East Haddam, Conn.). Senior Robby Rinn (Warwick, R.I.) made it 5-3 with a single to left center.

Hartford had another answer, though, as Chris Sullivan reached on a fielder's choice, advanced to second on a wild pitch, to third on a passed ball and then scored on a two-out triple from Ruch. Aaron Wilson then greeted reliever Oliver Powers (Newtown, Conn.) with a swinging bunt to tie the game.

It took just three pitches for Bryant to regain the lead in the fourth. Senior Dan Cellucci (Sudbury, Mass.) was hit by a pitch to start the inning and freshman Nick Angelini (Bedford, N.H.) followed with his first-career triple right center to make it 6-5. Albanese then brought Angelini home with a one-out single through the right side.

The Hawks were right there again in the fifth, tying the game on a two-run home run TJ Ward. It set the stage for Bryant to regain the lead in the bottom half of the frame on a sac fly from Cellucci. The Bulldogs would hold the Hawks off the board in the sixth but Hartford was able to take the lead for good in the seventh.

Albanese (2-5, 2RBI), Rinn (2-5, RBI) and Wood (2-3, 2RBI) all finished with two hits for the Black and Gold. Senior Michael Marshall (Maynard, Mass.) pitched the most effective of Bryant's six pitchers, tossing 1 2/3 innings of scoreless relief. Snyder suffered his second loss of the season, allowing two runs on four hits in two innings.

MacKinnon and Ward led the Hartford attach with four hits apiece, while Bengston and Sullivan each chipped in two hits. Bengston, Ward and Sullivan all scored two runs for the Hawks.

Bryant will have a week and a half off before taking the field on April 1 against LIU Brooklyn. The meeting with the Blackbirds will start a four-game weekend series between the two teams.