Bulldogs rally late, fall short in series finale at CCSU

NEW BRITAIN, Conn. – The Bryant University baseball team scored three runs in the ninth and had the tying runs on but could not complete the comeback as Central Connecticut earned a split of this weekend's four-game Northeast Conference series with a 9-7 win on Sunday afternoon at the CCSU Baseball Field.

With the loss, the Bulldogs (17-21, 10-4 NEC) have lost back-to-back games for the first time in nearly a month. The Blue Devils held off a late Bryant rally to improve to 21-16 overall and 12-5 in the NEC.

Trailing 5-2 in the eighth, the Black and Gold put together a rally to make it a one-run game. Freshman Jimmy Titus (Stafford, Conn.) singled, junior Mickey Gasper (Merrimack, N.H.) walked and freshman Chris Wright (Cumberland, R.I.) singled to load the bases with two outs. Senior Jacob Marotta (Bridgewater, Mass.) followed with a two-run single to make it 5-4.

CCSU quickly answered, however, scoring four huge insurance runs in the bottom of the eighth. A walk and a single put two on and Ryan Costello delivered an RBI single through the right side. The second came home to score on a fielder's choice from Mitch Guilmette. With the bases loaded, Guilmette hit a hard ground ball up the middle that Titus dove to field. He flipped the ball with his glove to second the force but the relay to first pulled Wright off the bag, allowing a run to score. Tyler Coleman capped the inning with a two-out, two-run single up the middle.

The Bulldogs put together one final rally in the ninth, scoring three times. A walk and two singles loaded the bases with no outs and Gasper made it 9-5 with a sac fly to center. Freshman Gaby Cruz (Miami, Fla.) followed with an RBI single through the right side and Wright reloaded the bases with a single to left. Marotta beat out a double play ball to extend the game and score a run, but a fly ball to center ended the game.

Bryant got on the board with a run in the first. Sophomore Nick Angelini (Bedford, N.H.) doubled down the right field line and scored on a two-out RBI single by Gasper.

The Blue Devils answered with two runs in the third and one more in the fourth to take a 3-1 lead. Nick Garland opened the third with a game-tying home run and Nick Landell followed with a double. He eventually came home to score the go-ahead run on a sac fly from Ryan Costello.

In the fourth, Tyler Coleman advanced to second on a wild pitchout with two outs and Garland followed with a bloop single to left to make it 3-1.

Bryant pulled within a run in the sixth but a standout defensive play by CCSU kept it from being a big inning. Titus beat out an infield single to start the inning and Gasper followed with a single to right center to put runners on the corners. Freshman Gaby Cruz (Miami, Fla.) then hit a hard ground ball towards third that Costello made a diving play on to start a 5-4-3 double play. Titus scored on the play but the rally was over.

CCSU quickly responded, scoring two runs in the bottom of the sixth. Garland doubled and came around to score on a two-out single from Dean Lockery. A single put runners on the corners and Lockery would score on a balk to make it 5-2.

Sophomore Craig Lacey (Westfield, Mass.) allowed three runs on seven hits, didn't walk a batter and struck out two in 3 2/3 innings. Classmate Nathan Wrighter (Windsor, N.Y.) pitched two innings, allowing two runs on three hits. Junior Logan Lessard (Cromwell, Conn.) added 1 1/3 scoreless innings of relief.

Titus went 3-for-5 with three runs scored, Gasper went 2-for-3 with two RBI, Angelini had two hits and two runs scored and Marotta drove in three.

Ron Grant started for CCSU and allowed one run on three hits over 4 1/3 innings. He walked two and struck out two. Patrick Mitchell surrendered three runs on five hits over 3 1/3 innings. The Blue Devils had five players finish with multiple hits, with Garland going 3-for-4 with a double, home run, two RBI and two runs scored.

The Bulldogs begin a 10-game homestand on Wednesday afternoon when they welcome Boston College to Conaty Park. First pitch is scheduled for 3:00 p.m.