BOX SCORE

Smithfield, RI - Bryant defeated Wagner 8-4 in the first of four games between the teams at the Bryant Baseball Complex. All nine starters batted safely for the Bulldogs, which rapped out 17 hit while improving to 20-19 and a Northeast Conference (NEC) best 12-5 while the Seahawks fall to 17-20 and 11-6 in the NEC.

Junior Kevin McDonnell (Bristol, CT / Avon Old Farms) led an eight-hit Green & White attack, going 2-for-4 with a double, home run and two runs while freshman Gaby Ramirez (San Juan, Puerto Rico / Perkiomen (PA)) was a perfect 2-for-2 with a RBI.

Bryant took the early lead with a manufactured run in the bottom of the first inning. Kevin Brown led off with an infield single to shortstop. Brown moved into scoring position on a wall-placed groundout before scoring on a Jeff Vigurs RBI double down the right-field line.

Jordan English added to the lead with his first home run of the year, a solo shot to left center in the bottom of the third inning.

The Bulldogs struck for two runs in the bottom of the fourth inning. Following a pair of hit batsmen, Kevin Brown stroked a two-run triple to right field, pushing the lead out to 4-0.

Wagner finally broke through in the top of the fifth inning with a pair of run. Junior Matt Logan (Wall, NJ / Wall) drew a full-count walk before McDonnell doubled to right center, advancing Logan to third base. Junior Jon Lucas (Hackettstown, NJ / Hackettstown) followed with a sacrifice fly, plating Logan. Following a Seahawk strikeout, Ramirez singled up the middle for the second-straight time, scoring McDonnell while cutting the lead to 4-2.

Bryant got both of those runs back in the bottom of the fifth inning but damage could have been much worse had it not been for some solid defense by the Green & White. Vigurs led off with his second double of the game before moving to third on a Nick Campbell bunt-single. Dylan Stone then singled through the left side, scoring VIgurs while advancing Campbell to second. Zakary Cianciolo recorded the second bunt-hit of the frame, loading with no out. Jamie Skagerlind made it 6-2 with a sacrifice fly to centerfield while moving Cianciolo and Stone to second and third. Tim Norton followed with a grounder to Tommy Higgins (So., Port Monmouth, NJ / Red Bank Catholic) at second base, who got Stone at the plate with a perfect throw. Cianciolo was then thrown out at home on a failed double steal by junior Brian Martutartus (Carlsbad, CA / La Costa Canyon).

After making a fine play in the field, Higgins led off with a solo home run, his second of the year, to deep left center, cutting the deficit to 6-3.

Fifth-year senior Andy Wells (Staten Island, NY / St. Peter's) came on in the bottom of the sixth inning and made quick work of the Bulldogs before McDonnell blasted his second home run of the year to right center leading off the seventh inning. Lucas then drew a four-pitch walk while knocking Bryant starter RHP Brent Almeida out of the game. Unfortunately, Lucas was picked off first before Martutartus singled to right center off reliever Nick Laude, who then induced an inning-ending double play.

Bryant added to the lead in the in the bottom of the eighth inning with two runs on four hits before closing the door on Wagner in the ninth.

Vigurs went 3-for-5 with two doubles, two RBI and two runs while Brown was 3-for-4 with a triple, two runs and two RBI to pace the Bulldogs.

Senior RHP Brent Almeida improved to 3-0 with the victory, yielding all four Wagner runs on six hits and three walks while fanning three over 6.0 innings. Mark Andrews fanned two over 1.1 scoreless inning for his ninth save of the season.

Despite not walking a batter, sophomore RHP Ryan Van Spronsen (Brantford, Ontario / Assumption College) fell to 2-6, allowing six runs on 11 hits while striking out three over 5.0 innings.

The teams resume the series tomorrow with a doubleheader starting at 1:00 pm.