Karinchak, homers push Bryant past LIU Brooklyn Friday

SMITHFIELD, R.I. – Sophomore James Karinchak (Walden, N.Y.) tossed eight scoreless innings and three solo home runs were enough as the Bryant University baseball team defeated LIU Brooklyn, 3-1, on Friday afternoon at Conaty Park.

The Bulldogs (15-5, 5-0 NEC) scored all of their runs in the first two innings and then had to hold off a ninth-inning rally from the Blackbirds (5-17, 0-5) to earn the series-opening victory.

Trailing 3-0 in the ninth inning, LIU strung together a one-out rally and eventually loaded the bases. Tommy Jakubowski beat out an infield single with one out and then came around to score on a double to left center from Harrison Preschel. Andy Camilo then knocked a pinch-hit single into center to put runners on the corners with one out. Bryant closer Logan Lessard (Cromwell, Conn.) then picked off pinch-runner Luis Rios for the second out but walked Kyle Ruth. Justin Snyder (Georgetown, Mass.) was then summoned and got out of the jam by inducing a pop up to third to leave the bases loaded.

Bryant's escape in the ninth preserved Karinchak's fifth (5-1) win of the season. The righty tossed a career-high eight innings, allowed just three hits, walked two and struck out seven. Karinchak held the Blackbirds hitless over the first 5 1/3 innings before Luis Arias singled with one out in the sixth. He ended his outing with a pair of strikeouts in the eighth.

The Black and Gold used the long ball to produce all three of their runs on Friday. Juniors Cole Fabio (Mahwah, N.J.) and Matt Albanese (East Haddam, Conn.) jumped on LIU starter Baylor LaPointe immediately, hitting back-to-back home runs to open the game. Fabio led off the game with a home run to left center and Albanese followed with a solo shot down the left field line. It is the first time since May of 2014 that a Bryant player led off the game with a home run and the first time since March of 2015 the Bulldogs hit back-to-back homers.

Another long ball in the second extended the lead to three. Senior Zach Wood (Griswold, Conn.) jumped all over a 1-1 offering from LaPointe and hit it off the rock wall in left-center to make it 3-0. It was the first home run at Conaty Park in Wood's career.

It was all the scoring Bryant would do on the afternoon, however, as LaPointe would settle down. He worked 6 2/3 innings and allowed three runs on nine hits, walked one and struck out two. Bryant touched him for three singles in the fifth but a pickoff halted any rally, and the Bulldogs had two more singles in the sixth but a 5-3 double play helped LaPointe through the inning. Nick Freijomil retired all four batters he faced to finish the game.

Wood posted his second-straight two-hit game, while freshman Nick Angelini (Bedford, N.H.) added two hits from the No. 9 spot in the order. Bryant also improved to 25-0 over the last three-plus years when they hit two or more home runs in a game.  

Bryant and LIU Brooklyn continue their series on Saturday with a doubleheader scheduled to begin at 1:00 p.m.