Walks doom Bulldogs in Thursday's opener

BRIDGEPORT, Conn. – The Bryant University baseball team walked 15 batters and eight of those runners came around to score as the Bulldogs dropped the first game of a Northeast Conference doubleheader with Sacred Heart, 12-3, on Thursday afternoon at the Ballpark at Harbor Yard.

With the loss, the Bulldogs (26-22, 18-5 NEC) see their nine-game winning streak come to a close. The Pioneers (17-30, 10-10) collected just five hits in the game.

Sacred Heart jumped out quickly on Thursday, scoring five runs on just two hits in the first two innings. Ted Shaw walked to start the game, advanced to second on a wild pitch and scored on a two-out single from PJ DeFilippo.

In the second, Bryant starter James Karinchak (Walden, N.Y.) walked four-straight batters to force in a run. A wild pitch brought in the second run and Keith Klebart scored two with a single up the middle to make it 5-0.

Bryant kept the Pioneers off the board for the next three innings and made it a two-run game with a three-run sixth. The first four batters all recorded hits as sophomore Nick Angelini (Bedford, N.H.) and freshman Chris Wright (Cumberland, R.I.) delivered RBI singles and sophomore Tyler Panno (Rivervale, N.J.) contributed a sac fly.

A pair of walks opened the bottom half of the sixth, however, opening the door for the Pioneers to match the Bulldogs with three runs of their own. Two walks and an error loaded the bases for Alex Perry who scored two with a single to center. A third run came home on a sac fly from Cody Doyle.

Sacred Heart put the game aw ay with four runs in the eighth. Stephen Thibault scored two with a double, Shaw singled home a run and Anthony Capozziello capped the scoring with a sac fly.

Karinchak suffered the shortest outing of his career, allowing five runs on just two hits in a 1 2/3 innings. He walked five and struck out three. Junior Ross Weiner (Woodbridge, Conn.) pitched a 1 2/3 scoreless innings of relief but also walked five.

Freshman Gaby Cruz (Miami, Fla.) and senior Jacob Marotta (Bridgewater, Mass.) each contributed two hits for the Black and Gold. Gasper reached base three times with a hit and two walks.

SHU righty Brent Teller held the Bulldogs in check for the second time this year, allowing three runs on six hits over 6 1/3 innings. Jackson Aldam pitched the final 2 2/3, allowing no runs on two hits. Shaw and DeFilippo all had two hits, while Shaw, Thibault, Perry and Klebart all drove in two.