#21
Bryant Tops RINDGE,
N.H. (April 28, 2004) –
Bryant College, ranked No. 21 in this week’s National Collegiate
Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) Division II poll, grinded out a 3-1
victory over No. 21 Franklin Pierce in Northeast-10 Conference baseball
action at Crystal Field this afternoon.
The loss is Franklin Pierce’s first at home since a 7-3 loss to
Saint Anselm College in game one of a doubleheader exactly one year ago
to the day, snapping a 13-game winning streak. The win for Bryant is its
eighth-straight.
Senior right-hander Mike Florest (Franklin, Mass./Franklin)
picked up his Conference-leading ninth win of the season (9-2) as he
went the first six innings and allowed just an unearned run on four hits
with three strikeouts and a walk. Freshman Matt Davis (Tewksbury,
Mass./Tewksbury) went the next 2.2 innings and yielded just a
hit and a walk with five strikeouts. Junior Mickey Ryan (Lowell,
Mass./Lowell) picked up his second save in as many days by
fanning the lone batter he faced. Sophomore Adam Rourke (Rowley, Mass./Triton) paced the Bulldogs offense as he hit 3-for-4. Classmate Paul Novakowski (Prospect, Conn./Bridgeton Academy) was 2-4 with a double and run scored, while freshman Mike Rocco (Tewksbury, Mass./Tewksbury) chipped in with an RBI double.
Junior
right-hander Bryan Borowski (Clarksburg, Mass./Drury)
pitched well in defeat for Franklin Pierce. He allowed three runs, two
earned, on six hits with nine strikeouts and three walks in the complete
game effort.
Freshman Garrett Olson (Norway, Maine/Oxford Hills)
was the lone offensive highlight for the Ravens as he finished 3-4 and
scored their lone run. Sophomore Mike Feetham (Quincy, Mass./North
Quincy) registered an RBI single.
Bryant opened the scoring with an unearned run in the top of the
third. Senior B.J. Gagnon (Rochester, N.H./Spaulding)
appeared to hit an inning-ending groundout to short, but Randy
Fenton’s (Worcester, Mass./Doherty) throw to first was high
and allowed Ryan, who reached on a fielder’s choice, to score.
The Bulldogs added a second run in the fourth as sophomore Daryle
Crowley (Danvers, Mass./Danvers) drew a leadoff walk, stole
second, and scored an Rocco’s RBI double to left-center.
Florest faced the minimum, allowing just an Olson single, through
the first four before Franklin Pierce scored its lone run of the game in
the fifth. Olson reached on an infield and advanced to second on a
Florest throwing error on the play. Feetham followed two batters later
with an RBI single through the right side.
Bryant added an insurance run in the top of the ninth as
Novakowski roped a leadoff double to left-center, advanced to third on a
groundout and scored on a wild pitch.
The Ravens threatened in the home half of the ninth as sophomore Mike
Chambers (Londonderry, N.H./Londonderry) was hit by a pitch and
freshman Kim Hart (Gorham, Maine/Gorham) walked. Ryan came
on for Davis and after a wild pitch put both runners in scoring
position, he fanned Feetham to end the game.
Franklin Pierce (25-18, 20-6 NE-10) returns to action on Friday
when it hosts Saint Anselm in a key Northeast-10 Conference doubleheader
beginning at 2 p.m. The Hawks moved into a first-place tie with the
Ravens with an 8-7 comeback win at Southern New Hampshire University
this afternoon. Bryant (34-11, 22-7 NE-10), now just a game in the loss
column behind both Franklin Pierce and Saint Anselm, hosts Stonehill
College on Friday at 3:30 p.m. |
