Mullen collects 200th career hit as Bulldogs take opener with Mount, 9-1

SMITHFIELD, R.I. – Senior John Mullen (Walpole, Mass.) went 3-for-4 and collected his 200th career hit and junior Kyle Wilcox (Sandy Hook, Conn.) allowed just one run over eight innings to lead the Bryant University baseball team to a 9-1 victory over Mount St. Mary's on Friday afternoon at Conaty Park.

With the win, the Bulldogs (11-16, 3-2 NEC) have now won 19-straight games against the Mountaineers (6-21, 4-5).

Bryant's lone captain this year, Mullen made history in his first at-bat on Friday. With one out in the second, Mullen laced a 1-1 pitch into center for his 200th career hit. He became just the third player in Bryant's Division I history to accomplish the feat and the 16th in program history to do so.

The hit also helped the Black and Gold get on the board. After the single, Mullen swiped second base and came around to score on a two-out double from junior AJ Zarozny (Shrewsbury, Mass.). Classmate Buck McCarthy (Saugus, Mass.) followed with a two-out single to center to make it 2-0.

One of Bryant's hottest hitters of late, McCarthy extended Bryant's lead with one swing of the bat in the fifth. Leading off the inning, McCarthy walloped the first offering he saw over the center field fence for his second home run of the year. Three singles then loaded the bases and junior Robby Rinn (Warwick, R.I.) plated a fourth run with a sac fly.

After the Mountaineers plated an unearned run in the sixth, the Black and Gold scored five runs over their next two at-bats to put the game away. In the sixth, McCarthy and freshman Mickey Gasper (Merrimack, N.H.) started a two-out rally with back-to-back walks. Sophomore Cole Fabio (Mahwah, N.J.) then singled through the left side to score a run and senior Jordan Mountford (Guelph, Ont.) followed with a two-run double to right-center.

In the seventh, Rinn worked a leadoff walk and then raced all the way around from first on a Mullen double to left-center. Mullen scored two batters later on a wild pitch to make it 9-1.

Meanwhile, Wilcox put together another outstanding performance. He allowed one unearned run on six hits, walked one and struck out four over eight innings to earn his fourth-straight victory. Wilcox induced 11 ground outs and his defense turned a pair of double plays behind him. Senior Alex Lagos (Wrentham, Mass.) closed out the victory with a scoreless ninth.

Mullen finished with three hits and two runs scored and Fabio (2-5), Mountford (2-5, 2RBI), McCarthy (2-2, 2RBI, 2R) and Gasper (2-3, 2R) all finished with two hits. With two walks, McCarthy has now reached base safely in seven-straight at-bats. On the day, Bryant scored six of its nine runs with two outs.

The Bulldogs and Mountaineers continue their weekend series on Saturday with a doubleheader beginning at 1:00 p.m.