Bulldogs score 15 unanswered to defeat FDU, 15-5, on Friday

SMITHFIELD, R.I. – The Bryant University baseball team scored 15 unanswered runs to earn a 15-5 victory over Fairleigh Dickinson in the opener of a Northeast Conference series on Friday afternoon at Conaty Park.

Down 5-0 after two, the Bulldogs (18-21, 11-4 NEC) scored in each of the next six innings to improve to 28-4 all-time against the Knights (10-21, 7-5). Friday was the first of four games between two teams that played in last year's NEC Championship. The 15 runs were a season high for the Bulldogs.  

Freshman Chris Wright (Cumberland, R.I.) went 4-for-4 and reached safely in all six at-bats for the Bulldogs, and has now reached safely in each of his last nine at-bats dating back to last Sunday at Central Connecticut. Junior Mickey Gasper (Merrimack, N.H.) chipped in two hits, two RBI and two runs, freshman Jimmy Titus (Stafford, Conn.) homered, drove in three and scored twice and classmate James Ciliento (Mahwah, N.J.) had two hits, including his first-career home run.

Senior Cole Fabio (Mahwah, N.J.) was a catalyst at the top of the order, reaching base four times, driving in two and scoring three runs. Sophomore Nick Angelini (Bedford, N.H.) had a double, two RBI, two runs scored, walked twice and stole two bases.

It was the Knights, however, that fired the opening salvo on Friday, scoring three times in the first and twice more in the second. Matt McCann led off the game with a single and came around to score on a wild pitch. Owen VonEsslinger capped the big inning with a two-run home run to left center. McCann added an RBI single and Bobby Romano made it 5-0 with a sac fly in the second.

That was all FDU would muster as Bryant starter James Karinchak (Walden, N.Y.) settled down. He allowed just two hits over the next four innings and left the game after striking out nine batters over six innings. Karinchak improved to 5-1 on the year and is now 25-9 in his career. The 25 wins are tied with Eric Loh for fourth all-time. Karinchak also moved into sole possession of second place in program history with 251 strikeouts.

With Karinchak settling in, the Bulldogs began their comeback in the third. Fabio was hit by a pitch and Gasper moved him to third with a single through the right side. Wright then delivered a two-out, two-run single to center to make it 5-2.

Bryant continued to chip away in the fourth as sophomore Tyler Panno (Rivervale, N.J.) and Ciliento rapped consecutive one-out singles. Fabio followed by hitting the first pitch he saw into the right field corner for a two-run triple.

The Black and Gold then took advantage of two huge FDU errors to take the lead for good in the fifth. Titus opened the inning with a double and Wright followed with a hard single off the glove of FDU starter Evan Layne. The Knights made a pitching change and freshman Gaby Cruz (Miami, Fla.) greeted James Sharkey with a perfect safety squeeze up the first base line. The tying run scored and Sharkey made things worse by mishandling the ball, allowing everyone to reach safely.

Things got worse as Sharkey fielded a bunt from senior Jacob Marotta (Bridgewater, Mass.) and threw it down the right field line, allowing two runs to score and giving the Bulldogs a 7-5 lead.

Bryant extended its lead with a run in the sixth, two in the seventh and five more in the eighth. A Gasper sac fly scored the run in the sixth and Ciliento hit his first collegiate home run, an opposite-field shot, with one out in the seventh. Titus added a sac fly in the inning.

In the eighth, the Black and Gold scored all five runs with two outs. Angelini plated a pair with a double, Gasper scored Angelini with a single and Titus put an exclamation point on the afternoon with a two-run home run to left center. It was his fifth of the year.

Sophomore Craig Lacey (Westfield, Mass.) and redshirt-freshman Mason Palmieri (Lincoln, R.I.) combined to allow just one hit over the final three innings. Lacey tossed two scoreless and Palmieri pitched a scoreless ninth.

Layne suffered the loss for the Knights, allowing six runs (five earned) on seven hits over four-plus innings. He walked three and struck out three. McCann, the league's leading hitter, went 3-for-4 and is now hitting .403 on the year. He also stole two bases and has a league-leading 17. VonEsslinger finished with two hits.

The Bulldogs and Knight continue their series on Saturday with a doubleheader beginning at 1:00 p.m. Game one will be nine innings and game two will be a seven-inning contest.