Box Score - Game 1; Box Score - Game 2

Smithfield, R.I. - No. 23 Bryant swept a doubleheader against the American International College baseball team (9-27, 7-18 NE-10) Saturday afternoon at the Bryant Baseball Complex. The Bulldogs (35-14, 22-5 NE-10) cruised in an 11-0 game-one win before rallying in game-two for a 2-1 victory. Senior Jason Rustico (Southington, Conn.) went 2 for 4 with a run scored in game-two for AIC.

Bryant scored four times in the bottom of the first inning of game-one and never looked back as it pounded out 11 runs on 17 hits. Three Bulldog pitchers combined to four-hit the Yellow Jackets. Junior Dan Lozeau (Pelham, N.H.) allowed just three hits with 11 strikeouts over seven innings to pick up the win. Seniors Luke Cowan (Houston, Texas) and Ben Conn (Holden, Mass.) tossed scoreless innings in the eighth and ninth, respectively.

Sophomore Jeff Vigurs (South Windsor, Conn.) went 2 for 3 with two runs scored and two RBIs in game-one and junior Pat O'Connor (Mattapoisett, Mass.) was a perfect 3 for 3 with three runs scored and one RBI.

Game two was a pitchers duel between AIC freshman Nick Noblit (Westfield, Mass.) and Bryant freshman David O'Brien (Whitman, Mass.). O'Brien allowed one run on four hits through eight innings to record the win, while Noblit allowed two runs on eight hits with eight strikeouts in eight innings. He held the Bulldogs scoreless through the first six innings before allowing runs in the seventh and eighth. Sophomore Eric Polvani (Wallingford, Conn.) tossed a one-two-three ninth to record the save.

The Yellow Jackets took a 1-0 lead in the top of the fourth as Rustico led off the inning with a single to center field and later scored on classmate David Dest's (Orange, Conn.) double down the right field line.

Bryant drew even in the bottom of the seventh when junior Pat McKenna (Orange, Conn.) singled to third base, scoring O'Connor from third, and took the lead in the bottom of the eight on a suicide squeeze. Senior Jason Alexander (Simsbury, Conn.) took off from third with the pitch and Sophomore Nick Campbell (Raynham, Mass.) laid down a bunt to the pitcher as the run scored.

AIC and Bryant will meet again Sunday for a single game at AIC Park in Springfield starting at 1 p.m.