Nine-run first sends No. 16/24 Bulldogs past Mount in game one Friday, 12-1

EMMITSBURG, Md. – The No. 16/24 Bryant University used a nine-run first inning to cruise past Mount St. Mary's, 12=1, in game one of a doubleheader on Friday afternoon at E.T. Straw Family Stadium.

The Bulldogs improve to 43-10 overall and 25-4 in the Northeast Conference with their 25th-straight win against the Mountaineers (11-35, 8-23).

Bryant left little doubt as it sent 13 men to the plate and scored nine runs in the first inning. Freshman Nick Angelini (Bedford, N.H.) led off the game with a double to dead center, senior AJ Zarozny (Shrewsbury, Mass.) single and classmate Robby Rinn (Warwick, R.I.) walked to load the bases with no outs. Senior Buck McCarthy (Saugus, Mass.) walked with the bases loaded to bring in the first run and singles from junior Brandon Bingel (Peabody, Mass.), senior Zach Wood (Griswold, Conn.) and junior Cole Fabio (Mahwah, N.J.) made it 4-0.

Sophomore Malik Daley (Northborough, Mass.) then walked to force in a run, Angelini's second-hit of the inning plated a run, a wild pitch scored another, Zarozny produced a sac fly and Rinn singled to right to cap the inning.

The Bulldogs added three more runs in the fifth to push their lead to 12-1. Senior Dan Cellucci (Sudbury, Mass.) singled through the left side and Fabio bounced a single back up the middle to open the inning. A throwing error allowed Cellucci to score the first run and Angelini plated Fabio with a fielder's choice. McCarthy capped the inning with an RBI double to right, his 16th two-bagger of the season.

It was more than enough for Bingel who worked five innings to improve to 8-3 on the year. He allowed one run on six hits, didn't walk a batter and struck out seven on the afternoon. Bingel allowed his only run in the first inning and escaped further trouble with back-to-back strikeouts. He surrendered back-to-back two-out singles in the third before getting a strikeout and then ended the fourth and fifth innings with strikeouts to close his outing.

Angelini (2-4, 2RBI, 3R), Zarozny (2-3, R, RBI), McCarthy (2-3, 2RBI), Bingel (2-4, R, RBI) and Fabio (2-3, 2R, RBI) all had two hits in the game. Cellucci had a hit and also scored twice for the Bulldogs. Freshman Craig Lacey (Westfield, Mass.) and graduate student Garrett Hayward (Glendale, R.I.) each tossed a scoreless inning of relief.

Chad Diehl suffered the loss for Mount, getting just two outs and allowing nine runs in the first. Hunter Shuff pitched 3 2/3 innings of relief, allowing three runs (one earned) on seven hits. Alex Kriss went 3-for-3 at the plate.