SMITHFIELD, R.I. – Ellis Garcia homered twice and tied a DI program record with seven RBI, while Kaden Hilburger allowed just two baserunners over 6.0 innings of one-run ball as the Bryant baseball team earned an 11-1 run-rule victory over Sacred Heart on Friday afternoon at Conaty Park.
 
With the win, the Bulldogs have won five-straight games and improve to 11-8 overall and 6-1 on their eight-game homestand. Bryant and Sacred Heart close out the series with a doubleheader Saturday. First pitch is set for 12:00 p.m.
 
Sacred Heart took a 1-0 lead on a home run three batters in but that was all they mustered against Hilburger. The righty retired 16 of the final 17 batters he faced in the longest outing of his collegiate career.

Garcia, meanwhile, provided all the offense needed as he became the fifth player in DI program history to drive in seven runs in a game, finishing 4-for-4. Casey Wensley added three hits and three runs scored, while Dylan Prince (2-3, 2B), Gavin Greger (2-4) and Justin Hackett (2-4) finished with two hits.
 
Game Information
Bryant 11, Sacred Heart 1
Records: Bryant 11-8 | Sacred Heart 4-14
Location: Conaty Park (Smithfield, R.I.)
W|L|S: Kaden Hilburger (1-1) | Matuschat (1-4)
 
Key Moment

• Garcia broke a 1-1 with a mammoth two-run home run to left center in the third.

How it Happened

• Sacred Heart took the early lead as Peter Link homered in the top of the first.
• Bryant responded with a run in the first, two in the third and three in the fourth. In the second, Dylan Prince hit a towering infield pop up that fell for a wind-aided double. A ground ball moved him to third and he scored on a balk.
• The Bulldogs took the lead in the third as Garcia launched a fastball 426-feet to left center for a two-run homer (3-1).
• Bryant extended its lead in the fourth with three two-out runs as Wensley slashed an RBI single to left center and then Garcia knocked a 3-2 pitch through a vacant right side for a two-run single.
• Garcia was back at it again in the sixth as he launched a three-run home run to left for his second of the afternoon.
• The Bulldogs completed the run-rule victory with a pair of runs in the seventh. Hackett drove in the first run with a long single to center that bounced out of the glove of the center fielder as he crashed into the fence. Jacob Gaudreau scored the final run with a single inside the first base bag.

Inside the Box Score

• Bryant outhit Sacred Heart, 16-2.
• Bryant matched its season-high with 16 hits.
• Hilburger allowed one run on one hit, walked one and struck out five over 6.0 stellar innings. He retired 16 of the final 17 batters he faced.
• Sean Zaslaw pitched a scoreless seventh inning.
• Garcia finished 4-for-4 with two home runs, seven RBI and two runs scored.
• Wensley went 3-for-4 with a double, RBI and three runs scored.
• Prince picked up two hits, including a double.
• Greger and Hackett each collected a pair of hits.

Game Notes

• Bryant has won each of the last nine games against Sacred Heart and owns a 39-17 lead in the all-time series.
• The Black and Gold are now 138-34 at Conaty Park since the start of the 2017 season.
• Bryant is 6-1 on its current eight-game homestand.
• Bryant has now stolen 54 bases through the first 19 games of the season.
• Garcia posted his first-career multi-homer game and tied the Bryant single-game program record with seven RBI. He joins James Ciliento (4/27/21), Jimmy Titus (3/20/19), Nick Campbell (4/4/09) and Jeff Vigurs (3/8/09) as the only players to accomplish the feat.
• Garcia extended his on-base streak to 15 games.
• Saul extended his hitting streak to 10 games with a single.
• Wensley now has 10 multi-hit games this year and 42 in his collegiate career. He is 10-for-14 with five doubles, five RBI and seven runs scored in the last four games.
• Prince collected his second multi-hit game of the season.
• Greger now has multiple hits in five of his last seven games.
• Gaudreau extended his on-base streak to 22 games dating back to last season. He has reached safely in all 15 games this year.
• Hilburger recorded the longest outing of his collegiate career to earn his second career victory. It is his first win since April 25, 2023.
• Hilburger has now allowed just three hits, three runs (two earned) and has struck out nine in his last two starts (10.0 innings).

Up Next
Bryant and Sacred Heart wrap up their series on Saturday with a doubleheader beginning at 12:00 p.m.