Karinchak ties a DI program record with 13 Ks as Bulldogs roll in opener

FAIRFAX, Va. – Sophomore James Karinchak (Walden, N.Y.) allowed just one hit and tied a Division I program record with 13 strikeouts over six scoreless innings as the Bryant University baseball team defeated George Mason, 12-2, on Friday afternoon at Spuhler Field.

The Bulldogs improve to 7-1 with the win and are now 2-2 all-time against the Patriots (1-7). Bryant's offense posted 15 hits and collected seven extra-base hits in the game, while four pitchers combined to strike out 17.

Karinchak was the story on Friday as he didn't allow a hit until sixth inning and retired 13-straight batters at one point to improve to 3-0 on the season. He allowed just one hit, walked three and struck out a career-high 13 on the afternoon, tying Eric Polvani's DI mark that was set in 2010 against Central Connecticut. After walking the first batter of the game, Karinchak retired the next 13 hitters in a row, posting seven strikeouts. He struck out at least two batters in five of the first six innings and struck out the side in each of his final two innings.

Bryant flexed its muscles early in Friday's opener, using a four-run second to jump out to an early lead. Senior AJ Zarozny (Shrewsbury, Mass.) opened the second with a double inside the left field line and classmate Zach Wood (Griswold, Conn.) followed with a screaming two-run home run over the left-center field wall to make it 2-0. An error and a single put two more runners on and senior Robby Rinn (Warwick, R.I.) brought both home with a one-hop double off the 400' sign in dead center.

In the third, Zarozny roped his second double of the game to left center and moved to third on a soft single from Wood. Senior Dan Cellucci (Sudbury, Mass.) then laid down a perfect safety squeeze to score Zarozny from third and make it 5-0.

A monstrous two-run home run from Rinn pushed Bryant's lead to 7-0 in the fourth. Junior Matt Albanese (East Haddam, Conn.) singled to right with one out before Rinn unloaded on an 0-2 breaking ball and hit well over the scoreboard in right-center field.

Bryant added to its lead with a single run in the sixth and four more in the seventh. In the sixth, Rinn doubled to open the inning and came around to score on a two-out single from Zarozny. Senior Buck McCarthy (Saugus, Mass.) drove in a run with a double in the seventh and freshman John Nollet (Storrs, Conn.) capped the big inning with his first-career hit, a two-run single to left center to make it 12-0.

George Mason scored its only runs in the seventh and the ninth. Garrett Driscoll put the Patriots on the board with a solo home run to left field in the seventh and Michael Smith doubled and scored in the ninth.

Garrison Banas (Hadley, Mass.), Matt Knych (Manville, R.I.) and Craig Lacey (Westfield, Mass.) all pitched an inning of relief to finish the game. Banas and Lacey each struck out two.

Junior Cole Fabio (Mahwah, N.J.) led Bryant with four hits and also scored two runs on the afternoon. Rinn finished 3-for-6 with with four RBI and two runs scored, Zarozny went 3-for-4 with two RBI and two runs scored and Wood finished 2-for-3 with two RBI and a run scored.

Tyler Zombro started for Mason and fell to 0-3 on the year as he allowed seven runs (five earned) on 10 hits in 4 2/3 innings. He walked two and struck out five. Smith doubled and walked three times to lead the Patriots offense.

The two teams will meet again on Saturday with a first pitch scheduled for 2:00 p.m.