SMITHFIELD, R.I. – Junior Brandon Bingel (Peabody, Mass.) threw his first-career complete game and matched his career high with eight strikeouts as the Bryant University baseball team defeated LIU Brooklyn, 5-1, on Saturday afternoon at Conaty Park.

The Bulldogs (16-5, 6-0 NEC) have now won each of the first two games against the Blackbirds (5-18, 0-6). Game two of Saturday's doubleheader was postponed to Sunday and the two teams will play a doubleheader with a first pitch scheduled for 1:00 p.m.

On Saturday, Bryant and LIU waited out the rain, eventually starting the game at 3:45. The Blackbirds quickly jumped in front as Luis Arias hit a 1-2 pitch over the left field wall for a leadoff home run.

It was the only run the Blackbirds would score off of Bingel, however, as the right hander turned in one of the best starts of his career. He picked up his first strikeout to strand two runners in the first, struck out the side in the fourth and struck out Kyle Ruth swinging with runners on second and a third in the top of the sixth with Bryant up 2-1. Bingel, who improved to 4-1, completed his first complete game with a perfect seventh. He walked one, struck out eight and scattered six hits.

Bryant answered Arias's leadoff home run with a run of its own in the bottom of the first. Junior Matt Albanese (East Haddam, Conn.) drilled a 2-0 pitch over the center field fence to tie the game. It was Albanese's second home run of the series.

The Bulldogs took the lead for good in the third without the benefit of a hit. Albanese worked a one-out walk, stole second, advanced to third on a ground out and scored as Ruth couldn't field a ground ball hit by Bingel.

Bryant added three key insurance runs with one swing of the bat in the bottom of the sixth. Senior Zach Wood (Griswold, Conn.) worked a one-out walk and classmate Dan Cellucci (Sudbury, Mass.) singled to right center to send pinch-runner Malik Daly (Northborough, Mass.) to third. Freshman Nick Angelini (Bedford, N.H.) then worked a 3-1 count before clobbering a three-run home run to left center to make it 5-1. The home run was the second of his career.

Angelini finished the game 2-for-2 with three RBI and a run scored, while Albanese finished 1-for-2 with two walks and two runs scored. Senior Robby Rinn (Warwick, R.I.) extended his hitting streak to 10 games and his on-base streak to 17 games with a bunt single. Bryant has now hit five home runs in the first two games of the series.

Brian Drapeau fell to 0-4 on the year after allowing five runs (four earned) on six hits over 5 2/3 innings. He walked four and struck out one. Tommy Jakubowski finished 2-for-2 and Andy Camilo also added a pair of hits, including a double.