NEC Tournament Bracket Turned Upside Down on Day 1

5/21/2015

The parity in Northeast Conference baseball was evident throughout the regular season and the opening day of the NEC Tournament was no different. No. 4 seed Fairleigh Dickinson dealt a 7-2 defeat to top-seeded Bryant, the defending champion. Hours later, No. 3 Sacred Heart used a ninth-inning rally to spoil a solid starting effort from Nolan Long and hand No. 2 Wagner a 3-1 loss. The top two seeds in the championship bracket – Bryant and Wagner – will meet in an elimination game on Friday at 12:00 pm ET. The winner’s bracket game between FDU and SHU will follow at 4:00 pm ET. All games will air live at necfrontrow.com.

Game 1
#4 Fairleigh Dickinson 7, #1 Bryant 2
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Norwich, CT -- Timely hitting and spectacular defense propelled Fairleigh Dickinson past top-seeded Bryant in the opening game of the 2015 Northeast Conference Baseball Tournament.

The Knights turned a 6-4-3 double play to complete the 7-2 victory over the defending NEC champions. It was a fitting way to end a flawless defensive performance that was highlighted by a run-saving snag from shortstop Matt McCann to end the sixth inning.

McCann’s web gem came one frame after second baseman Dylan Sprague made an acrobatic catch in short right field and then fired to first base to complete a 4-3 twin killing, one of four double plays FDU would complete in the game.

Bryant put two runners aboard in each of the first two frames, but FDU starter Joe Flack was able to escape the danger.

En-route to picking up the win, Flack held the NEC’s top-ranked offense to two earned runs over 6.0 innings of work. Ryan McGrath came on to replace Flack at the start of the seventh and went the rest of the way to earn the save.

FDU opened the game’s scoring on a two-out RBI single by Sprague. Shane Siebler, who drew a two-out walk and advanced to second on a wild pitch, came around to score on the play.

Siebler finished the game 2-for-3 at the plate with two RBI and flashed some leather as well. The rightfielder was responsible for FDU’s first double play of the day.

With two out and two on in the second inning, Siebler caught Dan Cellucci’s fly ball and fired a strike to third base to cut down Matt Albanese.

Game 2
#3 Sacred Heart 3, #2 Wagner 1
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Norwich, CT -- Sacred Heart’s bats woke up just in time.

The Pioneers plated three runs in their final at-bat to turn a 1-0 ninth-inning deficit into a 3-1 victory over Wagner in Thursday’s second game at the Northeast Conference Baseball Tournament.

Wagner starter Nolan Long, a first team all-NEC selection, had lulled the SHU offense into a slumber over the first 8.0 frames. The 6-foot-10 hard-throwing right-hander had surrendered only three singles as he took a 1-0 lead into the ninth.

A pair of all-NEC infielders sparked the Pioneers’ rally. Third baseman Jesus Medina led off the final frame by singling up the middle and shortstop Zack Short followed with the game-tying double off the left-field fence.

All-NEC reliever Steven Bloodworth came on to replace Long with one on and no out, but the SHU rally continued. Freshman Cody Doyle delivered the decisive blow by connecting on a two-run, bases-loaded double with one out.

Right-hander James Cooksey was in line to be a hard-luck loser until the SHU offense came to life. Cooksey, an all-NEC reliever who moved into a starting role recently, had surrendered only one hit through 8.0 innings.

Wagner opened the game’s scoring on Tommy Mazurkiewicz’s fourth-inning sac fly to the second baseman, but Trey Nicosia’s leadoff single was the lone hit until the bottom of the ninth.

Ben Ruta singled for the Seahawks with one out in the ninth, but Cooksey induced a popup and groundout to close out the complete-game victory.

THURSDAY 5.21.15 DAY ONE