FROM CBB NEWS SOURCE
Courtesy of Bryant Media Relations
DOVER, DEL. – Sophomore outfielder Jordan English (Windsor Locks, Conn.) went four-for-five, hitting three homeruns while driving in five to pace a Bulldog offensive attack that piled up 19 hits as they grabbed their first Division I win, beating Delaware State, 16-7, on the road Saturday afternoon. Senior pitcher Kevin Cobb (Acton, Mass.) got the win on the hill, giving up three earned runs in seven innings of work.
Bryant (1-2) scored runs in each of the first five innings, taking a 4-0 after a Jeff Vigurs (South Windsor, Conn.) first inning grand slam, giving the senior his first longball of the season. The Bulldogs would score single runs in the second and third innings on a Pat McKenna (Orange, Conn.) sacrifice fly and a Jamie Skagerlind (Holden, Mass.) double to take a commanding 6-0 lead.
Delaware State (4-2-1), who had started the year with four wins in six tries, finally got on the scoreboard in the bottom of the third on their own grand slam off the bat of Justin Bittner, cutting the Bryant lead down to 6-4. Bittner collected six RBI in the game.
The Bulldogs responded to the Hornet comeback, putting the game out of reach with six runs over the next two innings. English pounded longballs in both innings, with a solo shot in the fourth and a two-run bomb to right field in the fifth. Mike DelPonte (Tewksbury, Mass.) and Dylan Stone (Portsmouth, Mass.) each drove in a run in the fifth as well, capping off a four-run inning and giving Bryant a 12-4 lead.
The Hornets came up with three runs in the bottom of the fifth to cut the lead to five, but two runs in the seventh and two more in the eighth put the game away for the Bulldogs. English’s third homer of the day capped off the scoring in the eighth inning, giving Bryant a 16-7 advantage.
Matt Griswold (Berlin, Conn.) pitched a scoreless eighth and Scott Merritt (Norwalk, Conn.) shut the Hornets down in the ninth for the black and gold to take their first ever Division I victory. Bryant has two more games against DSU, playing a double-header Sunday (12 p.m. and 3 p.m.).
