SMITHFIELD, R.I.— After rain forced the series back two days, the Sacred Heart baseball team finally took the field against Northeast Conference foe Bryant on Sunday afternoon. The Bulldogs (6-17, 2-0 NEC) swept both games of the doubleheader over the Pioneers (7-17, 2-3 NEC) with a 8-5 victory in game one, followed by a 7-5 comeback win in game two.

Game One

Bryant took the early lead as they grabbed four runs on four hits off Pioneers starter James Taubl in the bottom of the first inning. The Pioneer offense remained quite till the top of the fifth inning as senior Jake Friar opened the frame with a single down the left field line. After a line out, senior Ted Shaw reached on an error by Chris Wright to put runners at the corners. Friar would score SHU's first run on a passed ball. Freshman Elijah Brown roped an RBI single to left center field to score Shaw. A balk by Steve Theetge allowed junior Alex Perry to score from third. Senior Keith Klebart then walked bringing up reigning NEC player of the week, Anthony Capozziello who delivered a single through the right side to tie the game up at 4-4.  

The Bulldogs added three runs in the bottom of the fifth off an RBI triple by Jimmy Titus who then scored on an RBI ground out by Tyler Panno. Jacob Marotta pushed the lead to 7-4 with a double down the third base line. Bryant added another run in the bottom of the seventh inning on a Nick Angelini sacrifice fly. 

SHU looked to answer in the top of the eighth inning as they loaded the bases on three straight singles by Klebart, Capozziello & junior Dan Schock to start the inning. Junior Cody Doyle picked up an RBI on the fielder's choice to bring the score to 8-5. Nathan Wrighter replaced Theetge on the mound and got Friar to ground into a double play to escape the inning.

The Pioneers would get runners on first and second and the tying run to the plate in the ninth but Logan Lessard was able to close the inning. Klebart, Capozziello & Shock all went 2-for-4 from the four, five and six spots in the Pioneers order in game one.

Game Two 

Bryant once again got on the scoreboard first with an RBI single by Mickey Gasper in the bottom of the third inning. The Pioneers worked back to-back walks by Perry and Brown to start off the top of the fourth. SHU then loaded the bases as Klebart reached on an error by Marotta. SHU tied it up at 1-1 as Perry scored on an error by the catcher Gaby Cruz on Capoziello's fielder's choice. Craig Lacey would come on in relief of Weiner with the bases loaded and picked up a strike out and induced a double play to escape the inning.   

SHU got to Lacey in the top of the fifth inning and Friar and freshman Austin Markmann recorded back-to-back singles to start the inning. Shaw advanced both runners with his perfectly executed sacrifice bunt to third base. Perry then lifted a sacrifice fly down the right field line to score Friar and give the Pioneers the 2-1 lead. After Brown picked up his second walk of the game, Klebart delivered an RBI single up the middle to score Markmann and push the lead to 3-1. Bryant cut the deficit back to one run on an RBI double by Gasper in the bottom of the fifth. Redshirt junior PJ DeFilippo smacked a double to right center field with one man out in the top of the sixth. He advanced to third on a single by Friar, setting up Markmann with runners on the corners. Markmann put a deep sacrifice fly to left field to score DeFilippo to bring the lead to 4-2.

The Bulldogs put together a five-run sixth inning off relievers John Sostarich and Baylor Sundahl led by a bases clearing three RBI triple by Panno to take the 7-4 lead. SHU looked to rally in the top of the seventh inning with runners on first and second with one man out as Capozziello lined a single to center field to bring home Brown. After a pitching change and a pop out, DeFilippo loaded the up the bases but Jack Ispen was able to get Friar to pop out to short to end the frame. SHU was held to one hit over the next two innings as Bryant held on to the victory.

Sophomore Brent Teller pitched five innings in the no decision, allowing two runs on six hits while striking out six batters. Markmann went 2-for-3 with an RBI and Friar went 2-for-4 at the dish for the Pioneers. SHU outhit Bryant 9-8 on the day, while the Bulldogs stranded one more runner, 11-10.

The Pioneers will host Hartford on Tuesday, April 4 for the home opener at Harbor Yard. First pitch is slated for 3:00 p.m.