Senior Right-Hander Nick Vautrin Goes The Distance To Help Baseball Down Dowling, 4-2

Brookhaven, N.Y.-The UB baseball team used the fine pitching of senior right-hander Nick Vautrin (S. Hadley, Mass.), who made a four-run top of the first stand up, to snap a four-game losing streak and record the team's first East Coast Conference win of 2012 with a 4-2 victory at Dowling College on a wind-swept, Long Island Monday afternoon.  With the win, UB is now 4-10 overall and 1-4 in conference play.  Dowling is now 15-11 overall and 4-4 in the ECC.

Vautrin, who is now 1-4 on the season, pitched a complete game in which he allowed only four hits and two unearned runs.  Nick also struck out one and walked only two in his route-going performance.

The Purple Knights scored four runs in the top of the first inning on an RBI-single by senior Matt Ranaudo (Milford, Conn.), walks with the bases loaded issued to juniors Berny Polanco (Dominican Republic) and T.J. Mangan (Bronx, N.Y.) and a fielder's choice by senior Matt Nassi (N. Providence, R.I.).

Sophomore John Ascenzia (West Haven, Conn.) had three hits to lead the 11-hit Bridgeport offensive attack on Monday.  Ranaudo and Mangan each had two hits for the winners.

The Bridgeport baseball team is back in East Coast Conference action on Wednesday afternoon at Queens (N.Y.) College.  Game time in Flushing is set for 3:00 p.m.