Four combine on one-hit shutout as Bulldogs down Pioneers, 3-0, Sunday

SMITHFIELD, R.I. – Four Bryant University baseball pitchers combined on a one-hitter as the Bulldogs shutout Sacred Heart, 3-0, on Sunday afternoon at Conaty Park.

With the win, the Bulldogs (33-8, 16-2 NEC) won the weekend series 3-1 and now have a 3.5 game lead over the Pioneers (22-19, 13-6) in the NEC standings.

Junior Brandon Bingel (Peabody, Mass.) tossed 5 2/3 hitless innings, while sophomore Logan Lessard (Cromwell, Conn.), senior Michael Marshall (Maynard, Mass.) and sophomore Justin Snyder (Georgetown, Mass.) combined to close the door on Bryant's fifth shutout of the year. Jake Friar collected Sacred Heart's only hit with a one-out single in the eighth.

Bingel turned in one of the best outings of his career, allowing just three walks on the day. He struck out five and allowed just one baserunner to reach second. Bingel was perfect through the first three innings but walked Ted Shaw to leadoff the fourth.

In the sixth, the Pioneers put two on with two outs to chase Bingel from the game. Lessard entered the game and got a foul pop up to the catcher on the first pitch to get out of the jam. He went on to strikeout the side in the seventh before Marshall took over in the eighth and got an out but gave up a single.

Snyder was summoned and issued a pair of walks to load the bases with two outs. Victor Sorrento then hit a ground ball to deep short but senior Dan Cellucci (Sudbury, Mass.) was able to field it and made a heads-up play, throwing to third to get the force and end the inning. Snyder closed out his league-leading seventh save by striking out the side in the ninth.

Bryant scored all of its runs in the third inning on Sunday. Freshman Nick Angelini (Bedford, N.H.) walked with one out and scooted over to third on a single from senior Robby Rinn (Warwick, R.I.). A walk loaded the bases and senior Zach Wood (Griswold, Conn.) beat out a potential double-play ball to score the first run. Senior Buck McCarthy (Saugus, Mass.) capped the inning by lining a 3-1 pitch off the top of the left field wall for a two-out, two-run double.

Angelini and McCarthy each finished with two hits, while McCarthy wrapped up the weekend with eight RBI in four games. Rinn's single extended his on-base streak to 37 games and junior Matt Albanese (East Haddam, Conn.) walked three times to extend his on-base streak to 32 games.

John Sostarich took the loss for Sacred Heart, allowing three runs on four hits and six walks in 3 2/3 innings. Jeff Stoddard kept the Pioneers in the game with 3 1/3 scoreless innings of relief.

The Bulldogs are back at home on Wednesday, May 4 when they host Quinnipiac in a non-conference game. First pitch is scheduled for 3:00 p.m.