Frasier, Bryant force Game 7 with 7-2 win over LIU

NORWICH, Conn. – Logan Frasier tossed a complete game to lead the second-seeded Bryant University baseball team to a 7-2 victory over top-seeded Long Island University in game six of the 2022 Northeast Conference Baseball Championships at Dodd Stadium.

With its 21^st tournament victory, the Bulldogs force the "if necessary" game seven between the two teams. Bryant and LIU will play for the NEC Championship and the league's automatic bid to the NCAA Regionals.

In throwing the first complete game by a Bryant pitcher this year, Frasier allowed just two runs and scattered eight hits. He walked three and struck out seven in a 135-pitch effort.

Bryant's offense helped out the veteran lefty, scoring once in the first, twice in the third, twice in the fifth and then added key insurance runs in the eighth and ninth. Shane Kelly and Jackson Phinney both drove in a pair of runs, while Logan Allen had two hits and scored.

Game Information
Bryant 7, LIU 2
Records: Bryant 30-26 | LIU 36-19
Location: Dodd Stadium (Norwich, Conn.)
W|L|S: Logan Frasier (5-3) | Ryan Neuweiler (4-2)

Key Moment

• With Bryant leading 1-0 in the second, Allen made a great defensive play to tag the bag at second and get the Bulldogs out of a bases-loaded jam. Kelly would hit a two-run double in the top of the third to make it 3-0.            

How it Happened

• Bryant struck first, scoring in its first at-bat without the benefit of a hit. Jake Gustin reached on an error, Derek Smith walked and both advanced on a wild pitch. Carmine Petosa scored the first run with a ground ball to first.
• The Bulldogs held the lead thanks to a great defensive play from Allen in the second. With the bases loaded and two outs, Allen ranged up the middle to field a grounder but lost his footing. He was able to recover and dove to the bag and touched it with his glove just prior to the foot of the runner for the final out.
• Bryant rode the momentum, taking on a pair of runs in the top of the third. Two walks and a hit by pitch loaded the bases with no outs and Kelly delivered a two-run double off the wall in dead center to make it 3-0.
• The Bulldogs would push their lead to five with a two-out rally in the fifth. After there were two outs and no one on, Kelly, John Tuccillo and Jackson Phinney ripped consecutive singles, with Phinney's plating two.
• LIU got on the board in the sixth with a two-out, two-run single. Frasier would escape further damage with a strikeout of Chris Hund.
• Bryant pushed its lead to 6-2 with a run in the eighth. Allen doubled to start the inning, went to third on a Woods single and scored on a sac fly from Gustin.  
• Allen made it 7-2 in the ninth with a two-out RBI single up the middle, scoring Tuccillo.  

Stats and Game Notes

• Bryant is now 21-12 in the NEC Tournament.
• Bryant is making its seventh NEC Championship Round appearance. The Bulldogs have made the final in 2013 (champions), 2014 (champions), 2015, 2016 (champions), 2019 and 2021.
• The Bulldogs will be playing in game seven of the NEC Championship Round for the third-straight year and for the fifth time in program history. Bryant won game seven in 2013 but has lost game seven in 2015, 2019 and 2021.
• Woods now has 83 hits this year, tied for the fifth-most in a single season in DI program history.
• Gustin scored a pair of runs.
• Kelly has now driven in eight runs in the NEC Tournament and 25 in 14 games since his return.
• Allen finished with two hits and an RBI.
• Frasier threw the first complete game of his career and the first for the Bulldogs this season. He allowed two runs on eight hits, walked three and struck out seven.  
• Frasier joins Steve Theetge (2019) and Craig Schlitter (2014) as the last two Bryant pitchers to throw complete games in the NEC Tournament.

Up Next
Bryant and LIU will meet in game seven of the 2022 NEC Baseball Championships. The winner will earn the league's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.