Box Score NORWICH, Conn. – Jesus Medina went seven innings allowing just three hits and one earned run, but Bryant scored four in the top of the ninth to extend a 1-0 lead to 5-0, propelling the Bulldogs to a 5-2 victory over the Sacred Heart baseball team on Saturday afternoon at Dodd Stadium and forcing a winner take all Championship game tomorrow at 12 pm. It is the third straight year the two teams have met in the Championships. Coming out of the winner's bracket, the loss is the first of the double elimination tournament for the Pioneers, who are now 22-30-1.
Those four ninth innings runs by Bryant (29-24) turned out to be important, as SHU came back with two of their own in the bottom half. Coming into the ninth with three hits, the Bulldogs smacked six in the ninth alone. Matt Albanese started the top half with a single to second base and then came all the way around to score on Robby Rinn's double. Rinn would reach third on an error on the double, and although John Mullen singled in the next at bat, he would have to stay at third when the ball hit third base umpire. That would turn out not mattering though, as Buck McCarthy singled for the fourth consecutive hit to lead off the inning, plating Rinn and moving Mullen up to third. The Pioneers were able to get the first out at second on a grounder to shortstop with the infield playing, but AJ Zarozny pushed the advantage to 4-0 with a single up the middle. Dan Celluci singled as well, loading the bases for Cole Fabio, who capped the four run ninth with a sacrifice fly.
Medina attempted to ignite a SHU comeback in the ninth for the second time in the past three days by singling to open the inning. Victor Sorrento doubled him home for the first Pioneer run of the afternoon and then came around to score on PJ DeFilippo's single to cut the deficit to 5-2. This ended Bryant starter Trevor Lacosse's day, as the Bulldogs called upon James Davitt for the final two outs. He came thorough with a strikeout before a groundout ended the game.
Lacosse gave up three hits in the first eight innings before the there hits in the ninth. In allowing just those two earned runs, he struck out seven and walked just one while throwing 117 pitches. Davitt's final two outs earned him his fourth save of the year. Albanese and Mullen both had two hits and scored a run, with Mullen also adding the RBI.
Medina allowed just three hits in his seven innings of work, striking out one and walking two. He gave way to Dan Wertz, who pitched a perfect eighth before the ninth. DeFilippo was the lone Pioneer with two hits.
In a game with a combined ten 1-2-3 innings, Albanese's two out double in the first resulted in the lone base runner to reach scoring position in the first three innings. Brandon Bingel helped Bryant break through for the first run of the game by singling to open the fourth. After the first out, Rinn was hit by a pitch to put Bingel in scoring position for Mullen, who broke the scoreless tie with a single up the middle. The threat was put to an end in the next at bat following a line out by McCarthy. Rinn rounded third on the liner and was able to get back to second to avoid being doubled off, but was called out after a Sacred Heart appeal for being ruled to have not touched third on his way back to second.
Two of the three hits Lacosse allowed in the first eight innings resulted in the SHU's best opportunity to score prior to the ninth. DeFilippo and Cody Doyle produced back-to-back two out singles, but were stranded with Lacosse striking out the next hitter to put an end to the inning. Neither team recorded a hit in the fifth through eighth innings, with the lone two base runners reaching on walks.
