SMITHFIELD, R.I. – Sophomore James Karinchak (Walden, N.Y.) struck out seven and freshman Nick Angelini (Bedford, N.H.) collected a career-high four hits as the No. 18 Bryant University baseball team defeated Central Connecticut, 9-1, on Friday afternoon at Conaty Park.

The Bulldogs (37-9, 20-3 NEC) have now won all five games against the Blue Devils (19-28, 11-14) this year and lower their magic number to clinch a fifth-straight NEC Regular-Season championship to three.

Bryant pounded out 17 hits in the opener as Angelini led the way with four hits in five at-bats. Seniors Robby Rinn (Warwick, R.I.), Dan Cellucci (Sudbury, Mass.) and AJ Zarozny (Shrewsbury, Mass.) all added three hits and the Black and Gold also hit three home runs to raise their total to 46, a new program single-season record.

Clutch two-out hitting led to Bryant's first three runs of the ballgame. In the first, back-to-back singles from Angelini and Rinn were followed by a two-strike, two-out, two-run double from senior Buck McCarthy (Saugus, Mass.). In the fourth, singles from junior Brandon Bingel (Peabody, Mass.) and Cellucci put runners on the corners and Zarozny made it 3-0 with a line-drive single back up the middle.

Bryant then put the game away with six runs over the next three innings. Rinn made it 4-0 with a long, opposite field home run in the fifth and Bingel pushed the lead to five with a line drive home run off the left field foul pole in the sixth. The Bulldogs went on to score twice more in the inning on an RBI fielder's choice from Zarozny and a two-out RBI double from Angelini.

The Black and Gold put the game away with two more runs in the seventh. Senior Zach Wood (Griswold, Conn.) singled through the left side with two outs and Cellucci drove the very next pitch over the left field wall for a two-run home run. It was his second home run in three games.

All the while, Karinchak was turning in his best outing in a month and one of his best outings of the season. He allowed just one run on nine hits, didn't walk a batter and struck out seven over seven innings to improve to 10-2 on the year. It was just third outing of his career in which he has not allowed a walk and struck out six or more batters. Karinchak also joins Craig Schlitter as the only pitchers to win 10 games in a season in Bryant's DI history. Schlitter did it in both 2013 and 2014. 

Karinchak was on from the get-go as he struck out back-to-back batters to end the first two innings with a runner on second base. After a 1-2-3 third, he hit trouble in the fourth but was once again able to pitch through it. Dean Lockery singled to open the inning but was ruled out on a controversial interference call on a soft ground ball to second. Two singles later, the Blue Devils had the bases loaded with one out. Karinchak buckled down, striking out John Lippincott looking and Matt Martinez swinging to end the inning.

Rinn finished 3-5 with an RBI and two runs scored, Bingel was 2-4 with two runs scored and Cellucci and Zarozny eached finished 3-4 with two RBI and a run scored. Redshirt-junior Oliver Powers (Newtown, Conn.) pitched two scoreless innings to close the door.

Brandon Fox fell to 1-4 after allowing seven runs on 12 hits over 5 2/3 innings. Lockery, Mitch Guilmette and Nick Landell all had two hits for the Blue Devils.

Bryant and Central Connecticut continue their series on Saturday with a doubleheader scheduled to begin at 1:00 p.m.