Ninth Inning Rally Falls Short in 8-7 Loss to JWU

PROVIDENCE, R.I. -- The visiting Bridgewater State University baseball teams dropped an 8-7 decision to Johnson & Wales University on Friday afternoon.

Bridgewater's three-run rally in the ninth came up just short as the Bears fell to 6-8 on the season. 

Senior Ryan Feeney (East Bridgewater, Mass.) went 3-for-5 with two runs scored to pace the BSU offense. Feeney extended his season-long hitting streak to 14 games.

The Bears finished with 12 hits in the contest.

Junior Tyler Morini (Plymouth, Mass.) singled twice and walked in four plate appearances. Morini scored two runs and drove in one.

Trailing 2-0 after two innings of play, BSU junior Reed Pike (Bellingham, Mass.) belted his first career home run, a two-run blast over the right field fence, to knot the score in the top of the third.

After the Wildcats reclaimed the lead on freshman Joe Maracic's (Syosset, N.Y.) two-run double in the bottom half of the inning, the Bears pushed across a pair of runs in the top of the fifth to tie the score at 4-4.

Feeney and Morini started the two out rally with a base hit and a walk. Junior Alex Carey (East Bridgewater, Mass.) plated both runners with a two-run double to left field.

JWU broke the tie with a run in the seventh and added three more runs in the eighth to take an 8-4 lead.

Down by four in the ninth, junior Matt Levasseur (Milton, Mass.) reached on an error and Feeney followed with a base hit to put two runners on. Morini's RBI single to right plated Levasseur. Feeney came around to score and Morini advanced to third on an error by the right fielder. After a strikeout, Morini trotted home on pinch hitter Randy Frazier's (Wareham, Mass.) sacrifice fly to make it 8-7. The rally stalled, however, and the Wildcats hung on for the victory.

Junior Mike Davlos (New Milford, Conn.) threw three innings in relief of starter Ryan Depatie (Pawtucket R.I.) to pick up the victory. Josh Mousseau (Woonsocket, R.I.) tossed the final two innings to get his first save.

Sophomore Armani Henderson (Johnston, R.I.) went 3-for-4 with a run and three RBI to lead the Wildcats' 15-hit attack. Maracic finished 2-for-3 with three runs batted in, while sophomore Dave Matthews (Newtown, Conn.) went  3-for-5 with a pair of runs scored.

The Bears open Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference (MASCAC) play on Saturday when they travel to Salem State University for a pair of game with the Vikings. Game one of the doubleheader gets underway at noon.