Brandyn Durand hit a game winning three-run homerun in the bottom of the eighth inning on Friday afternoon, lifting Bryant University to a 5-3 win over Maine in the opener of a three game America East baseball series at Conaty Park in Smithfield, Rhode Island.
The Bulldogs were staked to a 2-0 lead into the seventh inning, before the Black Bears rallied to tie it. Aidan Bardi led off with a walk, and Damon Gaither followed with a two-run homer to leftfield to make it 2-2. Maine took their only lead of the day on a two out solo homerun from Bardi in the top of the eighth. The defending league champions from Bryant had the answer in the bottom half of the frame, as Drew Wayers led off with a walk and with one out Gavin Greger doubled to right to put runners on second and third. Sebastian Holt entered the game at that point in relief of starter Colin Fitzgerald, and he was greeted with the game winning three-run homer by Durand that snuck inside the foul pole down the rightfield line. The Black Bears did put two runners in scoring position in the ninth on a Quinn Murphy walk and a two out double by Brody Rasmussen, but Dean O’Neill struckout swinging on three pitches to end it.
Gaither had two hits for Maine, while Holt (2-2) suffered the pitching loss in relief. Fitzgerald in his no-decision went 7.1 innings and was charged with four runs on seven hits with three walks and five strikeouts. Kyle Rizy (6-0) picked up the win on the mound for Bryant in 3.0 innings out of the bullpen, with Landon White picking up his sixth save. Gavin Noriega and Charlie Saul had two hits a piece, as the first place Bulldogs improved to 24-16-1 overall and 11-5 in America East with their sixth straight victory. The Black Bears, who are in second place, drop to 19-23 and 12-7 in conference play. The teams play game two of the three game series on Saturday at 1 p.m.
