Gasper collects five hits as Bulldogs cruise in game one on Saturday

PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Junior Mickey Gasper (Merrimack, N.H.) collected a career-high five hits as the Bryant University baseball team defeated Mount St. Mary's 12-1 in game one of a Northeast Conference doubleheader on Saturday afternoon at Brown's Murray Stadium.

With the win, the Bulldogs (23-21, 15-4 NEC) have now won each of their last six games and 27-straight against the Mountaineers (7-33, 4-17 NEC). Bryant finished the game with 16 hits as every starter had at least one hit.

Gasper went 5-for-5 with two RBI, becoming first Bulldog this season to post a five-hit game. Sophomore Nick Angelini (Bedford, N.H.) went 3-for-4 with a home run, two RBI and three runs scored. Freshman James Ciliento (Mahwah, N.J.) chipped in two hits and seniors Jacob Marotta (Bridgewater, Mass.) and Cole Fabio (Mahwah, N.J.) each drove in two runs.

The Bulldogs took a 1-0 lead on a sac fly from Wright in the first before scoring six runs on six hits in the third. Angelini opened the scoring in the third with his fifth home run of the year, a two-run shot to left field. Bryant then strung together five-straight singles with freshman Jimmy Titus (Stafford, Conn.) and Ciliento delivering RBIs. Freshman Gaby Cruz (Miami, Fla.) and Marotta capped the inning with back-to-back sac flies.

Bryant finished its scoring with a run in the fourth, three in the fifth and one in the sixth. In the fourth, Angelini was hit by a pitch, stole second and scored on a Gasper single.

Cruz walked with one out in the fifth and Marotta followed with a double down the left field line. Fabio scored both with a single to center and later came around to score on a Gasper single to center.

Junior James Karinchak (Walden, N.Y.) pitched three perfect innings in an abbreviated start for the Bulldogs. He struck out four to improve to 6-1 on the year. Sophomore Craig Lacey (Westfield, Mass.) and redshirt-freshman Mason Palmieri (Lincoln, R.I.) each pitched three innings of relief to close the door. Lacey didn't allow a hit in three innings, while Palmieri earned his first-career save with three innings of one-run relief.

Seth Schubert allowed seven runs on eight hits over three innings for Mount, falling to 0-9 on the year. Dennis Stewart had two of the Mountaineer's four hits, while Joshua Lenig drove in the only run.