Junior Angelo Bruno hit a combined 4-for-8 at Saint Rose on Saturday with five RBI. (PHOTO BY Richard Orr)

Stonehill Sweeps Road Twinbill at Saint Rose

Skyhawks come from behind in both game to notch key NE-10 sweep
M. Von Stein saves both wins, Bruno powers offense

ALBANY, NY. (April 24, 2010) – Stonehill College got back on track in Conference play by sweeping a doubleheader at The College of Saint Rose in Northeast-10 baseball action at Bob Bellizzi Field this afternoon. The Skyhawks posted a 4-3 victory in game one, before rallying behind a seven-run eighth inning to notch a 9-5 win in game two.

Junior first baseman Angelo Bruno (Norwalk, Conn./Norwalk) powered the Stonehill offense, as he hit a combined 4-for-8 on the afternoon with three runs scored, a triple and five RBI. Sophomore Michael White (Lisbon, N.H./Lisbon Regional) was 5-for-7 with an RBI and two runs scored, while senior Mitch Davis (Bow, N.H./Bow) chipped in with three RBI.

Stonehill pitching yielded just three earned runs over the two games, with sophomore lefthander Michael Von Stein (Trumbull, Conn./Trumbull) picking up saves in both games, facing the minimum over 3.2 scoreless innings on the day, allowing just a hit and a walk with one strikeout on the day.

Sophomore Jesse Burba (Port Chester, N.Y./Port Chester) hit a combined 4-for-9 for Saint Rose with an RBI and run scored. Junior Grant Smith (Waterford, Pa./Fort LeBoeuf) batted 3-for-8 with two doubles, an RBI and stolen base for the Golden Knights.

Stonehill 4, Saint Rose 3 – Game 1

Stonehill used a three-run fifth to erase an early 2-0 deficit and pick up a 4-3 decision over Saint Rose in game one.

Sophomore Eric Haughn threw seven strong innings in game one for the Skyhawks.

Sophomore lefthander Eric Haughn (Pembroke, Mass./Pembroke) threw seven strong innings to pick up the win (2-2) on the mound, allowing the three runs, just one earned, on five hits with three strikeouts and two walks. Michael Von Stein notched his first save of the afternoon with two hitless innings of relief, striking out one.

Angelo Bruno paced the Stonehill offense, hitting 1-for-3 with two RBI and two runs scored. Junior Nick Nardacci (Glenmont, N.Y./Bethlehem Central) batted 2-for-4, while senior Rob Von Stein (Trumbull, Conn./Trumbull) finished 1-for-3 with a double and run scored.

Senior Derek Marshall (Malone, N.Y./Franklin Academy) paced Saint Rose as he hit 1-for-2 with a walk and RBI. Junior Ryan Burke (Troy, N.Y./LaSalle Institute) batted 1-for-2 with a stolen base and two runs scored.

Senior lefthander Jake Kozar (Norwalk, Conn./Brien McMahon) took the loss (3-2) for the Golden Knights, allowing three runs (two earned) on six hits and six walks with six strikeouts in five innings.

Saint Rose opened the scoring by scoring twice in the third. Senior John Cole (Spring Valley, N.Y./Spring Valley) led off with a single and later scored when Jesse Burba reached on an error. Senior Zachary Halloran (Albany, N.Y./Bishop Maginn) drove in the second run with a sacrifice fly.

Stonehill rallied with a three-run fifth, keyed by a two-run double by Bruno. He later scored when Michael White reached on an error. Bruno was hit by a pitch in the seventh and later scored am important insurance run when senior Matt Skane (Mashpee, Mass./Mashpee) reached on an error.

Saint Rose threatened to tie the score in the seventh as Burke was hit by a pitch and later scored on a single to left by Marshall. Marshall got into scoring position with a wild pitch, but could get no further.

Stonehill 9, Saint Rose 5 – Game 2

Stonehill overcame a 5-0 deficit behind a seven-run eighth inning on its way to a 9-5 comeback win in game two to notch the Skyhawks fourth win in five outings.

Sophomore Michael White hit 4-for-4 in game two with an RBI and two runs scored. (PHOTO BY Richard Orr.)

Angelo Bruno led Stonehill by hitting 3-for-5 with a triple, run scored and three RBI, while Mitch Davis was 2-for-5 with a run scored and three RBI. Michael White batted 4-for-4 with an RBI and two runs scored.

Sophomore righthander Brendan Wright (Easton, Mass./Cardinal Spellman) earned the win (1-0) with 4.2 innings of four-hit shutout relief, striking out five and walking just one. Michael Von Stein notched his second save of the day (fourth of the season), allowing just a hit in 1.2 innings of scoreless relief.

Jesse Burba hit 3-for-5 for Saint Rose with an RBI and run scored. Grant Smith was two doubles, a stolen base and RBI.

Freshman lefthander Eric Hilton (East Greenbush, N.Y./Columbia) took the loss (0-2), as the only batter he faced scored the go-ahead run after being hit by a pitch. Junior righthander Doug Dulin (Ossining, N.Y./Ossining) pitched six shutout innings, scattering five hits and three walks with nine strikeouts.

Bruno delivered a bases-clearing three-run triple to key Stonehill’s seven run eighth to erase its 5-0 deficit. White drove in the Skyhawks first run with an RBI single after senior Shane Franz (Cazenovia, N.Y./Cazenovia) led off with a triple. David posted an RBI single, junior Scott Hackett (Bangor, Maine/Bangor) forced in a run when he was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded and senior Ryan Healey (Lynn, Mass./Lynn English) drove in a run with a sacrifice fly.

The Skyhawks added two more runs in the ninth on a two-run single by Davis.

Stonehill (20-16, 13-9 NE-10) is right back in action tomorrow, when it visits Saint Anselm College for a doubleheader. The games have been pushed up one hour to start at 11 a.m., due to the weather forecast. The Skyhawks return home on Wednesday to host the Hawks at 3:30 p.m. Saint Rose (12-28, 7-15 NE-10) hosts Saint Michael’s College on Monday for a doubleheader at 3:30 p.m.