UB Baseball Records Key ECC Sweep Over Queens
Purple Knights Move Into Final ECC Playoff Spot With Wins Of 12-2 And 2-0
West Haven, Conn.-The University of Bridgeport baseball team swept a key East Coast Conference doubleheader from the Queens (N.Y.) College Knights on Sunday afternoon winning game one, 12-2, and completing the sweep with a 2-0 victory in the nightcap. The sweep gives the Purple Knights a four-game winning streak and raises UB's overall record to 13-18. More importantly, Bridgeport is now 9-11 in conference play which moves the team a half game ahead of Molloy for the final spot in the 2012 ECC Championships Tournament field. Queens slips to 12-25 overall and 6-14 in conference action.
Molloy and Bridgeport will play three games against each other next Friday and Saturday to close out the 2012 regular season.
In game one, junior Mike Doran (Milford, Conn.) and sophomore John Ascenzia (West Haven, Conn.) each had two runs batted in, and seniors Ryan Barba (Stratford, Conn.) and Eric Schlitter (Guilford, Conn.) each banged out two hits.
On the mound, junior Chris Maull (Winslow, N.J.) raised his season record to 2-5, as he hurled his fourth complete game of the year. Maull limited the Knights to only four hits, as he fanned five and walked only one in his route-going performance.
Senior right-hander Nick Vautrin (S. Hadley, Mass.) was the big story for the Purple Knights in game two, as he fired the team's first shut out of the season, blanking QC on only three hits. Vautrin, who is now 3-7 on the season and is tied with Maull for the team lead in complete games with four, struck out four and issued only one walk in his stellar performance.
Ryan Barba and Eric Schlitter, again had two hits apiece in the nightcap, and Barba and senior Matt Nassi (N. Providence, R.I.) each had an RBI for UB.
Bridgeport is back in action on Wednesday evening, May 2, when the team returns to West Haven High School for a 5:00 p.m. tilt against Mercy College. Wednesday evening will also be Senior Night for the Purple Knights.