Rhody baseball falls to Bryant on home turf

04/08/09 - The University of Rhode Island baseball team hosted its third home game of the season yesterday and could not fight off a pesky Bryant University team, falling 5-1.Bryant starter Eric Polvani put in a stellar performance, going the distance while striking out nine and allowing only one run.

Sophomore Ken Graveline got the start for Rhody and lasted five innings, giving up five runs on eight hits.

"It was a disappointing loss," head coach Jim Foster said. "We've got a lot to play for and Bryant doesn't. They're not in a conference, they're not eligible for postseason competition and we're playing for a lot."

After trading zeros in the first two innings, the Bulldogs broke open the scoring in the top of the third utilizing a bit of small ball.

Bryant's Tim Norton would open the third frame with a single down the left field line and was then advanced to second on a successful sacrifice bunt by Connor Carignan.

With one out and Norton on second, a routine groundball was hit to junior shortstop Luis Chacon. Chacon unsuccessfully attempted to nab Norton at third, leaving both runners safe at the corners.

Bryant's Dylan Stone then laid down a perfect suicide squeeze, allowing Norton to slide safely into home just under the tag of Rhody catcher, freshman Mike Eschmann.

The Rams did not answer back, and both teams would go scoreless until the top of the fifth, when the Bulldogs Pat McKenna sent one deep and out to right field with two outs in the inning. McKenna's shot appeared to be a routine fly until the swirling winds carried it just inside the right field foul pole.

Graveline would quickly rebound, forcing a pop-up to left field to end the inning.

Rhody finally put itself on the board in its half of the fifth, taking advantage of some sloppy Bryant baseball.

After a Rob DeVeney strikeout, redshirt freshman Dan Haverstick sent one up the middle past a diving McKenna. Haverstick then stole second and advanced to third on a throwing error by Bryant catcher Jeff Vigurs. A wild pitch by Polvani allowed Haverstick to score, giving Rhody their only run of the game.

Leading 2-1, Bryant would tack on its final three runs of the game in the top of the six on four hits.

The Bulldogs' Nick Cambell opened the inning with an infield single and teammate Pat O'Connor would follow with another single, this time a frozen rope up the middle, moving Cambell to third. Graveline then plunked Vigurs, loading the bases for Jordan English.

English would slap a screaming line drive over the outstretched glove of a leaping Haverstick, scoring Cambell and ending Graveline's day on the mound.

Freshman Mark Fraser replaced Graveline and immediately induced a 6-4-3 twin killing that allowed O'Connor to score from third.

Norton then sent a ball to right field that landed just in front of DeVeney that would then bounce past him, allowing Vigurs to score and Norton to scamper all the way to third base.

Fraser rebounded by striking out Carignan to end the inning.

Redshirt freshman Ross Davis, and freshman submariner Anthony Pisani also came on in relief for Rhody, going a combined two innings while allowing two hits and no runs.

"The guys have done a nice job putting themselves in a position early in the season to do some good things," Foster said. "Today the fight just wasn't there, the quality at-bats weren't there and the base running wasn't there. The type of team I want to be, as good as we were this weekend, today we just didn't have it."

URI has little time to rebound, looking at a tough contest with Boston College at 3 p.m. today in Boston.

"They're No. 1 in New England and we're number two in New England," Foster said. "I know those polls don't mean anything, but it's a big game every year. We have to show up and be ready to play [today]. We're going to get our butts kicked if we don't.