SMITHFIELD, R.I. – Mike Fiatarone hit a walk-off grand slam as the Bryant baseball team rallied for a 6-2 victory over Sacred Heart in game one of Saturday's doubleheader at Conaty Park.
 
With the win, the Bulldogs have won six-straight games and improve to 12-8 overall and 7-1 on their nine-game homestand. Bryant and Sacred Heart wrap up their series with game two on Saturday.
 
Bryant trailed 2-0 entering the fifth but tied the game with a pair of RBI triples in the fifth and sixth innings. In the seventh, the Black and Gold loaded the bases and Fiatarone – pinch hitting – crushed the first offering onto the softball batting cages for his first career home run.
 
Game Information
Bryant 6, Sacred Heart 2 (7 inn.)
Records: Bryant 12-8 | Sacred Heart 4-15
Location: Conaty Park (Smithfield, R.I.)
W|L|S: Justin Dressler (2-0) | Mitch Hawkins (0-1)
 
Key Moment

• Fiatarone ended the game with a walk-off grand slam.

How it Happened

• Scudder retired the first eight Pioneers in order before back-to-back two-out singles in the third. Scudder rebounded with a strikeout to strand runners on second and third.
• The Pioneers were able to push across the first runs of the game in the fourth. Two walks and a hit batter loaded the bases and a single to left field made it 1-0. A bases-loaded walk plated the second run but Birchard limited the damage with a strikeout and a ground out.
• Bryant was able to tie the game with single runs in the fifth and sixth. In the fifth, Irizarry walked with two outs and Wensley drove a 3-1 pitch to deep right center. The SHU right fielder made a lunging attempt and had the ball initially but it fell from his glove for an RBI triple.
• The Bulldogs tied the game in similar fashion in the sixth. Greger singled to leadoff the inning but was still there with two outs. Papetti fell behind 0-2 and then fouled off two consecutive pitches before hitting a drive to center field. SHU CF Peter Link raced back and reached out to make the grab but the ball fell out of his glove as he crashed into the wall. Papetti raced around for a game-tying RBI triple.
• In the seventh, Wensley singled, Garcia was HBP and Kingsbury beat out a bunt to load the bases. Fiatarone then pinch-hit and hit the first pitch 399 feet onto the softball batting cages for a walk-off grand slam.

Inside the Box Score

• Bryant outhit Sacred Heart, 9-3.
• Four of Bryant's nine hits went for extra bases.
• Scudder allowed two runs on three hits, walked two and struck out four over 3.1 innings.
• Birchard struck out six over 3.0 scoreless innings.
• Dressler retired the final two batters in the seventh.
• Fiatarone hit a pinch-hit grand slam.
• Wensley and Papetti each had two hits, including an RBI triple.
• Kingsbury finished with a pair of hits, including a double.

Game Notes

• Bryant has won each of the last 10 games against Sacred Heart and owns a 40-17 lead in the all-time series.
• The Black and Gold are now 139-34 at Conaty Park since the start of the 2017 season.
• Bryant is 7-1 on its current nine-game homestand.
• Bryant has now stolen 55 bases through the first 20 games of the season.
• Garcia extended his hitting streak to 10 games and his on-base streak to 16 games.
• Wensley now has 11 multi-hit games this year and 43 in his collegiate career. He is 12-for-18 with five doubles, a triple, six RBI and eight runs scored in the last five games.
• Fiatarone's home run was the first of his career. It was the first walk-off home run by a Bulldog since Nick Angelini on May 13, 2018 and the first pinch-hit home run since Jackson Phinney on April 1, 2023.
• Birchard set career highs in innings pitch (3.0) and strikeouts (6). He now has 23 strikeouts in 11.1 innings this season.
• The victory is the second for Dressler this season.

Up Next
Bryant hits the road on Wednesday as it travels to Kingston to face in-state rival Rhode Island. First pitch is set for 3:00 p.m.