Bryant Takes Two from Baseball

Links: Box Score (Game 1) | Box Score (Game 2)

ANDOVER, Mass. – The Merrimack College baseball team suffered a pair of Northeast Conference (NEC) losses on Sunday afternoon against Bryant University. The visiting Bulldogs won the first game of the doubleheader, 18-1, following by a 14-0 victory in game two.

The Basics
Score (G1): Bryant 18, Merrimack 1
Score (G2): Bryant 14, Merrimack 0
Records: Merrimack (3-8, 0-3 NEC) | Bryant (5-7, 3-0 NEC)
Location: Andover, Mass.    

Rapid Recap (Game 1):

• Bryant scored runs in each of its first six innings to build a commanding advantage. The Bulldogs led, 10-0, after the top of the third inning
• The Warriors scored their lone run of the first game in the bottom of the third. Graduate student Joey Porricelli hit a one-out single, and then reached third on a double by sophomore Alex Haba. Two batters later, Porricelli raced home on a wild pitch to score
• Merrimack's bullpen arms allowed just one unearned run over the 4.2 innings over the game. Senior Timmy Kalantzakos recorded four strikeouts of his 1.2 frames of work. Junior Wyatt Villella and sophomore Michael Bean combined to allow no runs and one hit over the final three innings, striking out four Bryant hitters

Rapid Recap (Game 2):

• Graduate student Riley Sorenson took the ball in game two. After a scoreless first inning, Sorenson faced a two-runners-on-with-two-outs situation. Bryant's Matt Woods hit a single into right field, and the throw from sophomore Scott Elliott appeared to gun down the Bulldogs' lead runner, but a safe call at the plate gave Bryant its first run. The Bulldogs tacked on four more runs with two outs, taking a 5-0 lead after the top of the second
• The Bulldogs scored two more in the top of the fourth before adding seven additional markers across their final four at-bats to score 14 total runs in the second game
• Merrimack's offense total nine hits in the series finale. The Warriors had multiple baserunners reach in four of nine innings, but were unable to score. The hosts' best chance came in the seventh inning, when the Warriors loaded the bases

Notes and Notables (Game 1):

• WP – Schoff (1-0) | LP: Amidon (0-3)
• Kalantzakos punched out a season-best four batters
• Bean set a single-game career best with the two strikeouts. He has yet to allow an earned run in four career appearances (5.1 innings)
• Porricelli totaled a team-best three base hits
• Elliott made his first career start, hitting a single into left for his first career hit

Notes and Notables (Game 2)

• WP – Morgese (1-1) | LP – Sorenson (2-1)
• Four different Warriors finished with two hits: graduate student Nick Shumski, Haba, senior Thomas Crowley and junior Michael Golankiewicz
• Crowley is now hitting .375 (6-16) over five games this season

Up Next
Merrimack visits Boston College on Wednesday.