Titus homers twice, drives in five as Bryant snaps skid on Sunday

SMITHFIELD, R.I. – Freshman Jimmy Titus (Stafford, Conn.) hit two home runs and drove helped the Bryant University baseball team snap a seven-game skid with a 9-6 victory over Liberty on Sunday afternoon at the Liberty Baseball Stadium.

With the win, the Bulldogs (3-7) salvaged the final game of a weekend series with the Flames (7-4). Bryant outhit Liberty, 10-8, and now is 2-5 all-time against the Flames.

The top four hitters in Bryant's lineup, Cole Fabio (Mahwah, N.J.), Nick Angelini (Bedford, N.H.), Mickey Gasper (Merrimack, N.H.) and Titus, combined for nine hits, seven RBI and eight runs scored. Fabio had three hits, a walk and scored three times at the top of the lineup, while Angelini had two hits and reached base three times. Gasper drove in two and scored twice, and Titus posted his first-career multi-homer game and drove in five. Titus is third different Bryant player to hit two home runs in a game this season.  

Having been held to one run in each of the first two games, the Black and Gold struck quickly on Sunday. Fabio and Angelini stroked back-to-back singles to open the game and Gasper made it 1-0 with an RBI ground out.

Liberty would tie the game in the bottom of the second but missed out on a chance to add more. Two singles and a walk loaded the bases and Josh Barrick's infield single to third brought home the tying run. Bryant starter Ross Weiner (Woodbridge, Conn.) escaped further trouble, however, as he fielded a comebacker to starter an inning-ending 1-2-3 double play.

Bryant then went to work on building its lead, scoring three times in the third and twice more in the fifth. In the third, Fabio led off with a double to center and came around to score as Gasper swatted a double to right field. Titus followed with a long, two-run home run to left field to make it 4-1.

Fabio was at the forefront of the fifth inning as well, as he collected a leadoff single before scoring all the way from first on a double from Angelini. He initially stopped at third base but would alertly scamper home on a throwing error by the left fielder. Angelini eventually stole third and scored on a two-out single to center from Titus.

Liberty plated two runs in the sixth to make it a three-run game. Weiner issued a walk and hit a batter with one out, summoning freshman Chris Wright (Cumberland, R.I.) from the bullpen. Eric Grabowski greeted him with a sinking liner to left that escaped the diving attempt of freshman Ryan Ward (Millbury, Mass.). The double brought home a run and D.J. Artis's ground ball to first made it 6-3.

Titus helped Bryant add three key insurance runs in the top of the eighth. Gasper walked to open the inning and Titus lifted a high fly ball that cleared the wall in center for a two-run home run. Freshman Gaby Cruz (Miami, Fla.) then worked a walk, moved to second on a ground out and scored on a two-out single to center from senior Joe Paparelli (Preston, Conn.).

The insurance runs proved important as the Flames benefited from a controversial call in the bottom of the inning. With two on and one out, Jack Morris hit a long fly ball to left field that bounced on the warning track and then over the fence for a ground-rule double. The third base umpire, however, ruled that it cleared the fence in the air and Morris was granted a three-run home run, making it 9-6.

It was as close as the Flames would get, though, as freshman Jack Ipsen (Eatontown, N.J.) retired the final two batters in the eighth before junior Logan Lessard (Cromwell, Conn.) pitched a perfect ninth inning to earn the save in his first appearance of the season.

Weiner earned his first win of the year after allowing three runs on five hits over 5 1/3 innings. He walked four and struck out three. Wright tossed two innings of relief, allowing three runs on three hits.

Jackson Bertsch suffered the loss for Liberty, allowing six runs on eight hits over five innings. Andrew Kowalo posted two hits and scored three runs.

Bryant remains on the road next weekend when it begins its spring break trip with a three-game series at the University of Maryland. The Bulldogs and Terrapins open the series with a 4:00 p.m. first pitch on Friday.