Theetge tosses complete game as Bulldogs take game one Friday

NEW BRITAIN, Conn. – Sophomore Steve Theetge (Syracuse, N.Y.) tossed his second-straight complete game to lead the Bryant University baseball team to a 5-1 victory over Sacred Heart in the first game of a Northeast Conference doubleheader on Friday afternoon at the CCSU Baseball Field.

With the win, the Bulldogs improve to 27-23 overall and 19-6 in NEC play. The Pioneers fall to 18-31 overall and 11-11 in league play.

Theetge was marvelous on Friday, allowing just one run on six hits with three walks and four strikeouts. He needed just 83 pitches and induced 12 ground ball outs, including a pair of double-play balls. It is Theetge's second-consecutive complete game and his third of the season. He now leads the NEC with eight wins.

The Bulldogs broke the ice with a run in the third and three more in the fourth. In the third, senior Jacob Marotta (Bridgewater, Mass.) singled to open the inning, took second on a ball in the dirt and went to third on a balk. Junior Mickey Gasper (Merrimack, N.H.) then beat out a potential inning-ending double play to score Marotta with the first run. The RBI is the 50th of the season for Gasper.

Bryant then went to work on extending the lead in the fourth. Sophomore Tyler Panno (Rivervale, N.J.) was hit by a pitch, freshman Chris Wright (Cumberland, R.I.) walked and classmate James Ciliento (Mahwah, N.J.) scored both with a double to left field. Senior Cole Fabio (Mahwah, N.J.) capped the inning with a two-out single up the middle to score Ciliento.

The Black and Gold made it 5-0 in the sixth with another on a potential inning-ending double play. SHU shortstop Steven Thibault fielded a ground ball, stepped on second but his throw to first sailed high, allowing Marotta to score.

Sacred Heart broke through in the sixth to make it 5-1. Ted Shaw hit a ground-rule double to start the inning, went to third on an infield single and scored on a single through the left side by PJ DeFilippo. The Bulldogs quickly put the rally to rest as Marotta fielded a chopper at third to start an inning-ending 5-4-3 double play.

Marotta and freshman Jimmy Titus (Stafford, Conn.) each contributed two hits for the Bulldogs, while Marotta also scored twice.

John Sostarich allowed five runs (four earned) on nine hits over 6 1/3 innings for the Pioneers. He walked six and struck out one. Anthony Capozziello had two hits and Shaw reached three times with a double and two walks.