April 28, 2006

Game One Box Score | Game Two Box Score

PROVIDENCE, R.I. - Senior captain Alec Smith (Turlock, Calif.) turned in a complete-game, four-hit gem in the opener of an Ivy League doubleheader with Brown to give Yale a 3-1 victory. However, the nightcap belonged (8-3)to the Bears. The loss ends Yale's chances of claiming a piece of the Rolfe Division crown.

The Bulldogs struck first in game one, giving Smith all the support he would need by scoring a pair of runs in the opening inning on a two-out, two-RBI single from freshman Ryan Lavarnway (Woodland Hills, Calif.).

The righty grounded a Bryan Tews pitch sharply up the middle that Brown shortstop Robert Papenhouse dove for, but couldn't glove, allowing the ball to roll into centerfield. P.J. Gorynski (Queens, N.Y.) and Marc Sawyer (Largo, Fla.) both scored on the hit to give the Bulldogs a 2-0 lead.

The Bulldogs tacked on another run in the second inning when Josh Cox (Gainesville, Fla.) doubled off the wall in left field to score Dan Soltman (Evanston, Ill.).

Smith then put it in cruise control, allowing only a third inning unearned run. At one point he retired 11 Brown batters in a row and faced just three over the minimum while striking out seven. His counterpart, Tews, settled down after the Bulldogs got to him early, pitching a complete game with six strikeouts in taking the loss.

Yale drew first blood again in the nightcap, plating an unearned run in the third.

With Eric Rasmussen (Brewster, Mass.) at third base after a double and a passed ball, Soltman perfectly executed a suicide squeeze bunt to give Yale the 1-0 lead.

Brown answered in the bottom half of the frame with a seven-run, two-out rally to knock starter Mike Mongiardini (Toms River, N.J.) out of the game.

Mongiardini recovered from allowing a leadoff double to Paul Christian to retire the next two men, keeping the designated hitter at second. Tews, playing second base in the nightcap, then doubled Christian home to tie the game. Mongiardini then plunked Jeff Dietz before Devin Thomas doubled to left to put the Bears up 3-1. Another hit batter and a single later, Mongiardini was lifted in favor of Stefan Schropp (Ft. Myers, Fla.) with the score 4-1.

Schropp gave up a run-scoring single to Matt Nuzzo before inducing what looked like an inning ending groundball to third. Charles Bush (Jackson, Miss.) was unable to field the ball cleanly after a tough hop handcuffed him, and was unable to get an out. A two-run single later and Adam Barrick (Freeport, N.Y.) was summoned to get out of the inning, but the damage was done as Brown led 7-1.

Brown starter Shaun McNamara took control from there, allowing only a fifth-inning, two-run double from Josh Cox before turning the game over to the bullpen. The duo of Ethan Burton and Rob Hallberg were able to make the lead stand up en route to the 8-3 win.

The loss eliminates the Bulldogs from the Red Rolfe Division race.

Yale concludes the season with a doubleheader against Brown on Saturday. There will be a special presentation between the two games, honoring the eight graduating Bulldog seniors. First pitch is scheduled for noon.