Baseball

Feels Like the First Time! Bryant Claims First #AEBASE Championship

VESTAL, N.Y. - The Bryant offense had its most impressive performance of the week on Saturday, out-slugging the impressive UMBC lineup 15-10 to clinch the program’s first-ever America East Baseball Championship on Saturday afternoon at the Binghamton Baseball Complex.
 
The Bulldogs secured the America East’s automatic bid to the 2024 NCAA Baseball Championship and will learn its draw during the NCAA Selection Show, which takes place Monday afternoon at 12:00 p.m. on ESPN2. It will be their first trip to the NCAA Tournament since 2016 when they were a member of the NEC.
 
Bryant never trailed in the contest and scored at least one run in each of the first six innings, however, UMBC answered each time and the two teams were tied 10-10 going into the bottom of the eighth. The Bulldogs exploded for five runs in the frame to take the lead for good. 
 
Carmine Petosa was honored as the Most Outstanding Player, going 3-for-5 in the title game with two home runs and five RBI. Overall he went 8-for-15 with three home runs and three doubles in three wins. 
 
All Championship Team 
Carmine Petosa, Bryant (MOP)
Justin Hackett, Bryant
Jackson Phinney, Bryant
Austin Wainter, Bryant
Anthony Swenda, UMBC
Justin Taylor, UMBC
Danny Wyatt, UMBC
Adian Kidd, NJIT
Luke Longo, NJIT
Trey Brown, UMass Lowell
Zach Fortuna, UMass Lowell
Dylan Banner, UAlbany
Nelson Berkwich, Binghamton
 
Elite-18 Award 
The 2024 Elite 18 Award winner was M.T. Morrissey of Bryant, a finance major with a 3.70 GPA. He had the highest GPA of any of the competing student-athletics in the championship round with at least five semesters at their school.
 
How it Happened: 

  • Carmine Petosa got off to an early start in the bottom of the first with a two-run home run to give Bryant the first lead of the game. 
  • The Retrievers were quick to respond with another 2-run homer from Luke Trythall in the top of the second, tying things at 2-2. 
  • Scoring opened up for the Bulldogs in the bottom of the second. Zac Zyons kicked things off with an RBI single to regain the lead at 3-2. Einemann and Petosa then had back-to-back RBI singles to score two more runs making it 5-2 in the Bulldogs’ favor. They added one run an inning later for a 6-2 advantage.
  • The Retrievers clawed their way back in the top of the fourth. Dawson Baracani had a two-run double, allowing Eddington and Best to score. Taylor then doubled to left center and Baracani crossed the plate, making it 6-5.
  • The Bulldogs responded in the bottom of the 4th with Petosa hitting another two-run home run for an 8-5 lead. They added one more in the fifth for a 9-5 lead.
  • The Retrievers fought back yet again in the top of the 6th, cutting the deficit to two as Matt Ryan hit a two-run home run. Danny Wyatt then hit a solo home run cutting the lead to 1 for the Retrievers. 
  • Gavin Noriega had a response to the Retrievers with a solo shot in the bottom of the 6th making 10-8. 
  • In the top of the 7th the Retrievers clawed their back, tying it up at 10 with a single from Swenda and Best scored, and then a single from Wyatt and Taylor scored.
  • Bryant regained the lead with runs in the bottom of the eighth, including a dagger three-run homer from Phinney. 

 
ABOUT AMERICA EAST
Founded in 1979, the America East Conference is an elite NCAA Division I athletic conference that fosters an environment for student-athletes to become champions. Comprised of academically renowned, like-minded member institutions located in the Northeast region of the United States, America East is committed to broad-based excellence and progressive in its approach to supporting its more than 3,500 student-athletes across 18 sponsored sports. For more information, visit
 www.AmericaEast.com and follow the America East Conference and its social media channels, @AmericaEast.
 
- America East Conference – Where Champions Rise -