Box score

RINDGE, N.H. (May 21, 2016) -- Four runs in the bottom of the second would start fifth-seeded Bridgeport on the way to staving off elimination on Saturday afternoon at Dr. Arthur and Martha Pappas Field. Junior right-hander Anthony Alicki backed the offense with 7.2 innings of two-hit ball, as the Purple Knights defeated seventh-seeded Dowling, 7-6, in an elimination game on the third day of the NCAA Championship East Regional, hosted by Franklin Pierce University.

With the win, Bridgeport improves to 28-23-1, earns the first NCAA Championship victory in program history and advances to play another elimination game at noon on Sunday, against second-seeded Southern New Hampshire. With the loss, Dowling sees its 11th NCAA Championship appearance come to a close and concludes its season at 28-25.

Alicki (4-5) was brilliant for much of the day, before visibly tiring at the end of his 110-pitch (67 strikes), 7.2-inning outing. After he departed, two inherited runners were allowed to score, leaving his final line at four runs on two hits, four walks and six strikeouts while picking up the win. Junior right-hander Dakota Edwards pitched the ninth to earn his first save of the season.

Bridgeport struck for four runs in support of Alicki in the second on Saturday. Sophomore second baseman Bobby Schryver started things with a one-out single back up the middle, moved to second on a wild pitch and scored on a single through the left side of the infield by junior center fielder Tyler Gambardella. Gambardella took second on the throw to the plate on the play, and then scored on an RBI single to center by junior catcher Casey Ouellette. After sophomore left fielder Daren Grabowski was hit by a pitch, a wild pitch put runners at second and third for sophomore right fielder Ben Torres, who cashed them both in with a two-run single back through the middle.

Junior right-hander John Parisi, the Dowling starting pitcher, would not escape the second inning, as he departed after just 1.2 innings and used 55 pitches (33 strikes) to record five outs. Parisi (5-5) was ultimately charged with four runs on five hits, walked one, hit a batter, threw two wild pitches and struck out three while taking the loss.

Dowling would pick up a run in the top of the fourth inning, as freshman left fielder Kenny Fils-Aime walked and later scored on a sacrifice fly by senior catcher Michael Rizzitello. Bridgeport would respond with two runs in the bottom of the fifth on a two-run single by senior first baseman Alec Jannotta to push the lead back out to 6-1. The Purple Knights tacked on a run in the seventh on an RBI single from junior shortstop Justin Carey to make it 7-1. Dowling scratched out three in the eighth, but also left the bases loaded, then got the tying run on base in the ninth, but could not complete the comeback, falling 7-6.