Bryant sets HR record, Owens reaches 900 wins Thursday

NEW BRITAIN, Conn. – The Bryant University baseball team slugged four more home runs and senior Steve Theetge (Syracuse, N.Y.) tossed seven strong innings as the Bulldogs defeated Central Connecticut, 16-3, in the first game of a Northeast Conference series on Thursday afternoon.

Bryant hit a home run for the 11-straight game and broke the Division I program record for home runs in a single season on Thursday to highlight another offensive barrage. Four players posted multiple hits and the Black and Gold scored double-digit runs for the ninth time in their last 11.

With the win, head coach Steve Owens became just the 17th active coach to win 900 career games. He's now 900-475-3 in 28 years.

Senior Nick Angelini (Bedford, N.H.) went 3-for-3 with a home run, three RBI and two runs scored, junior Chris Wright (Cumberland, R.I.) went 3-for-5 with a home run, two RBI and three runs scored, sophomore Sam Owens (Scituate, R.I.) was 2-for-3 with a home run, two RBI and three runs scored and redshirt sophomore Ryan Ward (Millbury, Mass.) homered, drove in two and scored twice.

Theetge continued his dominance of the NEC, allowing three runs on four hits over seven innings to earn his 6th win of the year and the 29th of his career. He walked one and struck out four. Theetge is now alone in second for career victories at Bryant.

Game Information
Bryant 16, Central Connecticut 4
Records: Bryant (26-12, 8-2 NEC), Central Connecticut (15-13, 5-5 NEC)
Location: CCSU Baseball Field (New Britain, Conn.)
W|L|S: Steve Theetge (6-1) | Tom Curtin (2-3)

Coach Owens' Comments

"Really good start from Steve Theetge. Mr. Consistency. He knows how to pitch. Very good offensive day, typical of what has been going on. We hit four home runs, a triple and three doubles. We adjusted and got production throughout the lineup. Sam, Wardo, Ang, Chris, Brian, Jimmy. Just a really good day."

Key Moment

• Holding a 4-3 lead in the fifth, Bryant scored three runs lightning quick to grab a 7-3 lead. Redshirt sophomore Jimmy Titus (Stafford, Conn.) tripled home a run, Wright doubled home a run and a third scored on an error.

How it Happened

• Bryant took advantage of two CCSU errors to plate a pair of runs in the first. Ward reached as his fly ball down the left field line was missed. A ground ball moved him to third and Titus scored him with a ground ball to short that misplayed. Titus then stole second and scored on a two-out single from Angelini.
• The Bulldogs extended their lead with two two-out runs in the third. Wright hammered a solo home run to right center for the first run and Angelini scored Owens from first with a double to left center for the second run.
• CCSU got within a run with three runs in the bottom of the third. A one-out double from Matt Bertochi plated the first run and TT Bowens scored two with a double down the right field line.
• Bryant replenished its lead with three runs in the top of the fifth. Junior James Ciliento (Mahwah, N.J.) reached on an error and scored as Titus tripled to left center. Wright followed with an RBI double into the right field corner and came around to score on a throwing error for the third run of the inning.  
• The Black and Gold then put the game away with a run the sixth and six more in the seventh. In the sixth, Ward launched his sixth home run of the season to right.
• In the seventh, Owens' drive to left field hit off the top of the fence and bounced over for a two-run shot. Angelini then hit the next pitch out of the ballpark for back-to-back home runs. Bryant added three more runs on a double from freshman Brian Nicolas (Langhorne, Pa.), an RBI single from Ward and a sac fly from Ciliento.

Stats

• Bryant outhit CCSU, 13-6.
• The Bulldogs hit four home runs, a triple and three doubles in the game.
• Ward went 2-for-5 with a home run, two RBI and two runs scored.
• Titus went 1-for-5 with two RBI and two runs scored.
• Wright finished 3-for-5 with a home run, two RBI and three runs scored.
• Owens was 2-for-3 with a home run, two RBI and three runs scored.
• Angelini finished a triple shy of the cycle, going 3-for-3 with a home run, three RBI and two runs scored.
• Nicolas drove in two runs.
• Theetge allowed three runs on four hits, walked one and struck out four over seven innings.
• Jackson Harrigan (Acton, Mass.) tossed a scoreless eighth.

Notes and Notables

• Bryant is now 35-11 against CCSU. The Bulldogs have won three of the four meetings this year and have scored double-digit runs in all three wins.
• Coach Owens won his 900th career game, becoming just the 17th active head coach to reach the milestone.
• Bryant hit four home runs in the game and now has 58 on the year. The 58 home runs are a DI program record for home runs in a single season.
• The Bulldogs have now homered in 11-straight games and have hit multiple home runs in five-straight.
• Bryant hit back-to-back home runs for the first time since Apr. 13, 2018 at FDU.
• Bryant scored double-digit runs for the fifth-straight game and for the ninth time in the last 11 games.
• Ward now has 22 hits over his last 10 games.
• Ward's home run was his sixth of the year and the 16th of his career. He's tied for seventh in DI program history.   
• Titus became just the seventh player in DI program history to drive in 50+ runs in a season.
• Ciliento saw his 26-game on-base streak come to a close but did score his 50th run of the season.
• Angelini's home run was the 20th of his career. He is only the second player (Kevin Brown) in DI program history and just the 10th ever to hit 20+ home runs in a career.  
• Angelini posted his sixth three-hit game of the year. He now has 211 career hits and 169 career runs scored. Angelini needs just three more runs to tie the DI program record.
• Owens posted his 13th multi-hit game of the year and hit his fifth home run of the year.
• Wright posted three hits for the third time this year and has 14 multi-hit games.
• Wright's home run was his sixth of the year and the 15th of his career. The six home runs are a career high.
• Wright also tied his career high in RBI with 36 on the year.
• Wright has now reached safely in 27-straight games.
• Theetge moved into sole possession of second place on the all-time wins list with his 29th.
• Theetge is now 21-1 in 26 regular-season appearances (25) starts against NEC opponents.
• Theetge has now won at least six games all four years at Bryant.

Up Next

Bryant and Central Connecticut will wrap up their weekend series with a doubleheader on Friday starting at 12:00 p.m.