Three homers sink Bulldogs on Saturday

MERION STATION, Pa. – Powered by a trio of home runs, Saint Joseph's earned a 4-1 victory over the Bryant University baseball team on Saturday afternoon at Smithson Field.

The Bulldogs (3-16) have now lost nine-straight games, with each of the last seven coming by four runs or less. The Hawks (4-11) have won three-straight and four of their last five.

For the second-straight game, preseason All-American catcher Deon Stafford Jr. gave the Hawks a lead with a solo home run in the bottom of the first. SJU extended its lead to three in the fourth as Dominic Cuoci hit a line drive to right field that bounced off the top of the fence and over for a two-run home run.

After stranding runners on second and third in two separate occasions earlier in the game, the Bulldogs were finally able to get on the board in the sixth. Sophomore Nick Angelini (Bedford, N.H.) and junior Mickey Gasper (Merrimack, N.H.) walked to start the inning and were advanced into scoring positon by a sac bunt. Freshman Chris Wright (Cumberland, R.I.) then laced a single into left center to score Angelini from third. Gasper was also waved around but he was thrown out at the plate on a bang-bang play.

The Hawks immediately pushed the lead back to three as Brian Lau led off the bottom of the sixth with a solo home run to left.

Bryant had chances to score in the third and the fifth but stranded runners on second and third in both the third and fifth innings. Senior Joe Paparelli (Preston, Conn.) walked and classmate Jacob Marotta (Bridgewater, Mass.) followed with a single up the middle in the third. Paparelli raced around to third and Marotta took second on the throw to third. SJU starter Pat Vanderslice, however, came back to strikeout the next batter and induce a fly ball to center to end the threat.

In the fifth, freshman Gaby Cruz (Miami, Fla.) snapped an 0-for-25 slump with a leadoff single and moved to third on a two-out double into the right field corner from senior Cole Fabio (Mahwah, N.J.). Vanderslice stopped the threat there, inducing a foul pop up to third for the final out.

Vanderslice held the Bulldogs at bay, surrendering one run on four hits over five-plus innings. He walked three and struck out four to earn his first win of the year. Justin Aungst tossed four innings of scoreless relief to earn the save. Stafford Jr. and Lau each finished with two hits for the Hawks.

Junior James Karinchak (Walden, N.Y.) returned after missing his last two starts to throw the first two innings on Saturday. He allowed one run on two hits and struck out two and is now 1-1 on the season. Classmate Ross Weiner (Woodbridge, Conn.) took over in the third and surrendered three runs on five hits over 4 1/3 innings. He walked one and struck out four. Redshirt-freshman Mason Palmieri (Lincoln, R.I.) and sophomore Nathan Wrighter (Windsor, N.Y.) combined to keep the Hawks scoreless for the final 1 2/3.

Five different players delivered hits for the Bulldogs, with Angelini reaching twice with a single and a walk.

Bryant and Saint Joseph's wrap up their series on Sunday afternoon with a first pitch scheduled for 1:00 p.m.