Box Score SMITHFIELD, R.I. – The Sacred Heart baseball team overcame an early deficit to take a 2-1 lead in the top of the third, but Bryant answered immediately, scoring four in the bottom half, three of which came on Buck McCarthy's three-run home run with two outs, en route to a 7-3 victory in the opening game of a crucial four-game Northeast Conference series on Friday afternoon.
The top two teams in the NEC standings by a wide margin, the first place Bulldogs extend their lead over SHU to two and a half games with their NCAA-leading 11th straight win to improve to 14-1 and 31-7 overall. SHU falls to 12-4 in the league with its third straight loss and is now 21-17.
The first three batters to come to the plate in the bottom of the third each reached via a different way, with Malik Daley leading off with a walk, Cole Fabio singling, and Nick Angelini getting hit by a pitch. Robby Rinn tied the game with a sacrifice fly to center field but SHU starter Jason Foley would get the next out on a harmless foul out to the first baseman. However, in what turned out to be the most crucial moment of the game, McCarthy sent the first pitch he saw just over the left center field fence for a 5-2 advantage to break it open.
In a game that Sacred Heart outhit Bryant 9-6, no Bulldog had more than one base knock, but it was McCarthy and Rinn each driving in three to lead the offense. In addition to his sacrifice fly in the third, Rinn added insurance with a two-run single in the seventh to extend the lead to 7-2.
That proved to be plenty for Bryant starter James Karinchak, who after stranding five runners in the first three innings, allowed just four base runners to reach in his final four. He gave up five hits and was charged with just one earned run in his seven innings of work. He struck out six and walked four.
With SHU bringing the potential tying run to the on deck single with one out in the eighth following Alex Perry's RBI single, Justin Snyder entered the game in relief of Ross Weiner to strand runners on second and third before throwing a scoreless ninth to pick up the save.
For Sacred Heart, Cody Doyle was the lone player with multiple hits on the afternoon, finishing 2-3 with a walk. Brent Teller came on in relief for Foley with two outs in the third and threw 3.1 scoreless innings before running into trouble in the seventh. He finished allowing two earned on three hits while striking out four and walking none. Mike Lembo relieved him and came on to throw a hitless last 1.2 innings.
After SHU left the bases loaded in the first, both teams got on the board with the help of errors. First it was Bryant in the bottom of the second, which began with Cody Albanese getting hit by a pitch. Two batters later he moved up to second when Brandon Bingel walked, putting runners on first and second with one away. Foley would get the potential double play groundball he was looking for, but then came the Pioneer error that allowed Albanese to score. Foley did not let that cause further damage though, inducing yet another ground ball that this time would lead to a double play.
SHU countered instantly to take the lead thanks to a leadoff triple by Ted Shaw. He came in to score on Sullivan's grounder in the next at bat but this time it was Bryant committing the error that permitted Sullivan to reach. This proved costly when three hitters later, Sullivan crossed home on Schock's sacrifice fly. Sorrento's single had moved Sullivan up to third the play before. Following the sac fly, Jesus Medina was hit by a pitch to give the Pioneers multiple runners on base yet again, but Karinchak made it five left on base through two with a punch out.
The series continues tomorrow with a doubleheader beginning at 1 pm.
