Bulldogs set for three games in Philadelphia this weekend

GAME NOTES

SMITHFIELD, R.I. – The Bryant University baseball team travels to Philadelphia, Pa., this weekend to unique three-game series against Saint Joseph's and Villanova on Friday and Saturday.

Winners of four-straight, the Bulldogs (6-11) will play the Hawks (9-13) at Smithson Field on Friday morning at 11:00 a.m. before taking on the Wildcats (10-14) at 3:00 p.m. Bryant wraps up the weekend on Saturday at 1:15 against Villanova at Villanova Ballpark at Plymouth.

Bryant and St. Joseph's will for just the second time in program history, with the Black and Gold owning a 1-0 lead after defeating the Hawks 4-1 on Feb. 17, 2012. The Bulldogs and Wildcats will be meeting for the first time in program history.

The Bulldogs enter the weekend on a four-game win streak after defeating Northeastern 18-2 on Wednesday. Bryant scored a season-high 18 runs and allowed two runs or less for the third-straight game. The Black and Gold had allowed two runs or less just once in the previous 14 games.

Junior Robby Rinn (Warwick, R.I.) and senior Jordan Mountford (Guelph, Ont.) paced the Bryant offense on Wednesday, combining for five hits, six RBI and eight runs scored. Rinn went 3-for-4 with three RBI and a career-high four runs, while Mountford went 2-for-3 with three RBI and a career-high tying four RBI. Rinn hit his second home run of the season, while Mountford picked up two doubles for the second-straight game and now leads the team with seven on the season.

Senior John Mullen (Walpole, Mass.) also had a big day on Wednesday, going 2-for-2 with a run scored, a walk and a hit by pitch. Bryant's lone captain, the run scored was the 100th of Mullen's career, placing him in elite company. Mullen becomes just the third Bulldog in Division I history with 100+ hits, 100+ RBI, 100+ runs, 40+ doubles and 10+ home runs. He joins Kevin Brown and Jamie Skagerlind as the only players to accomplish the feat.

After a strong performance against Hartford, the Bulldogs turn the ball to junior Kyle Wilcox (Sandy Hook, Conn.), senior Trevor Lacosse (Watervliet, N.Y.) and freshman James Karinchak (Walden, N.Y.) this weekend. Wilcox earned NEC Co-Pitcher of the Week honors after tossing eight scoreless innings against the Hawks, while Lacosse is scheduled to make his fourth start but his first since March 9. Karinchak will start Saturday and is coming off an outing in which he allowed two runs on nine hits over seven innings last week.

St. Joseph's and Villanova played each other on Thursday, a 6-5 Wildcat victory. The Hawks are led on offense by John Brue, a first baseman who has hit eight home runs and drive in 26 this season. Stefan Kancylarz is hitting .337 and has driven in 14 runs. Bryant will face SJU's ace, Pat Vanderslice. The sophomore righty is 3-2 with a 1.36 ERA on the year. He has struck out 27 in 33 innings.

Villanova's Adam Goss leads the team with 18 runs scored, while Max Beermann has seven doubles, two triples, four home runs and 22 RBI. The Wildcats are hitting .261 as a team. On the mound, the Bulldogs will see Villanova's top two starters in Hunter Schryver and Ryan Doty. Schryver is 0-2 with a 2.70 ERA after allowing just one run on two hits in eight innings last week. Doty, a rookie, is 1-3 with a 2.67 ERA and 20 strikeouts in 27 innings.