Six-run fourth pushes Bryant past Wagner, 10-4, in game one Saturday

SMITHFIELD, R.I. – The Bryant University baseball team scored six runs in the fourth inning and junior Matt Albanese (East Haddam, Conn.) drove in five runs as the Bulldogs defeated Wagner, 10-4, on Saturday afternoon in game one of a doubleheader at Conaty Park.

The Bulldogs (22-7, 11-1 NEC) had led 2-0 before the Seahawks (10-20, 5-9) rallied to tie the game in the third inning. Bryant, however, responded with six runs in the fourth and added two more in the fifth.

With the game tied in the fourth, senior Zach Wood (Griswold, Conn.) singled up the middle to open the inning and raced around to third as classmate AJ Zarozny (Shrewsbury, Mass.) singled through the right side. A wild pitch on ball four to senior Dan Cellucci (Sudbury, Mass.) scored Wood from third and made it 3-2. Freshman Nick Angelini (Bedford, N.H.) made it 4-2 with a sharp single through the left side. After a walk loaded the bases with no outs, Nick DiLeo came on to face Albanese and he greeted him with a bases-clearing double down the left-field line. Senior Robby Rinn (Warwick, R.I.) capped the inning with a single to left, putting Bryant up 8-2.

Wagner tried to rally in the top of the fifth but sophomore Ross Weiner (Woodbridge, Conn.) was able to pitch the Bulldogs out of trouble. Four-straight singles scored a run and ended Brandon Bingel's (Peabody, Mass.) afternoon. Weiner entered with the bases loaded and induced a ground ball for the first out. He then got Anthony Harrold to hit into an inning-ending 6-4-3 double play to get out of the jam.

Bryant extended its lead in the fifth thanks to Albanese. Cellucci and Angelini both singled to start the inning and junior Cole Fabio (Mahwah, N.J.) advanced both with a sac bunt. Albanese followed with a two-run single up the middle to make it 10-4.

The Black and Gold had taken a 2-0 lead thanks to a pair of sac flies in the first and second. Senior Buck McCarthy (Saugus, Mass.) drove in a run in the first and Fabio added a sac fly in the second.

Bingel earned his fifth win of the year with four innings of four-run ball. He walked three, struck out five and allowed eight hits. Weiner earned his first save of the year with three innings of scoreless relief.

Offensively, Albanese finished 2-for-3 with five RBI and Fabio went 1-for-1 with two runs scored. Cellucci finished 2-for-2 with three runs scored and Angelini went 2-for-2 with two runs scored and an RBI.

Nick Pavia allowed seven runs on five hits over three innings to fall to 0-3. Nick Mascelli had two hits, Trey Nicosia finished 3-for-4 and Phil Capra had two hits and two RBI.