Baseball Opens 2013 Campaign With Doubleheader Split Against Merrimack

Haverhill, Mass-The University of Bridgeport baseball team, under the direction of new head coach Joe Tonelli, opened its 2013 season on Saturday afternoon in Haverhill, Massachusetts with a doubleheader split against the host Merrimack College Warriors (3-1).  The Purple Knights plated two runs in the top of the ninth inning in the opener to rally from a 3-2 deficit to grab a 4-3 victory, and the Warriors scored seven runs in the second inning and six runs in the third inning of the seven-inning nightcap on their way to a 14-1 win.

In the opener, Merrimack grabbed a 3-2 lead heading to the top of ninth inning with a single tally in the bottom of the eighth.  With one out in the UB ninth, senior Mike Olszyk (Hamden, Conn.), who went 3-for-4 with three runs scored in game one, singled to start the Purple Knights' game-winning rally.  Senior Ross Graham (Kingston, Ontario, Canada) then singled putting runners on first and third for pinch hitter Michael James (Piscataway, N.J.) who tied the game a 3-3 when he scored Olszyk on a ground-rule double putting runners at second and third.  Graham would then score what proved to be the winning run on a passed ball.  UB scored its other two runs in game one on a wild pitch and a throwing error.

Newcomer, junior Mike Nowak (Latham, N.Y.) picked up the win in relief of starter Chris Maull (Sr., Winslow, N.J.) as he pitched five strong innings allowing only two hits, one run (earned) while striking out two and walking no one.  Both Purple Knights' pitchers combined to not allow a walk in the 2013 season opener.  Nowak worked a one-two-three bottom of the ninth after Bridgeport had grabbed the 4-3 lead.

In the nightcap, Mike Olszyk drove in the team's only run in the top of the fourth inning, and freshman Bryan Kondor (Shelton, Conn.) was the lone UB player with more than one hit as he went 2-for-2.

Senior Matt Wing (Brookville, Ontario, Canada), the first of five Bridgeport pitchers, took the loss in game two.

The UB baseball team returns to the diamond on Monday afternoon, March 4 when they face regional power, LeMoyne College, in a neutral site game that will be played at Dowling College in Brookhaven, New York. Action is slated to get underway at 2:00 p.m.