Feb. 26, 2005
Box Score
GAINESVILLE, Fla. - No. 12 ranked Florida scored four runs in the first inning en route to a 6-0 victory over the University of Rhode Island baseball team on Saturday at McKethan Stadium.
The Rams had given the Gators (8-2) a scare on Friday night before falling 5-4, but Rhody only managed three hits on Saturday in dropping to 0-2 on the season. Senior Mike Rainville (Pawtucket, R.I.) went 1-for-3 and is now 3-for-7 after two games. Seniors Chris Stelma (Glenwood, N.J.) and Joe Viscuso (Farmingdale, N.Y.) each had a hit for the Rams.
Florida junior Bryan Ball limited Rhode Island to two hits over 6 2/3 innings in picking up his second win of the season. Ball struck out four and lowered his ERA to 0.48 in 18 2/3 innings this season. Florida junior Darren O'Day worked the final 2 1/3 scoreless innings for the Gators.
"We obviously did not have a great game offensively," Rhode Island head coach Frank Leoni said. "We made some mistakes on the bases and we just didn't do a lot with the sticks today. Their pitcher was good, not overpowering, but he hit his spots."
Florida sophomore Matt LaPorta was a perfect 3-for-3, scored twice and belted his team-leading sixth homer with a solo shot in the second as the Gators notched their fifth straight win.
The Gators jumped out to a quick 4-0 lead in their first at bat by sending nine batters to the dish and pounding five hits off Rhode Island All-American Zack Zuercher (0-1).
"Zack had a rough first inning, it took him a while to get lose," Leoni said. "After that, he settled in and took care of business from there. He pitched well."
But the four-run first inning proved all the Gators would need. Florida senior Jeff Corsaletti drew a one-out walk and advanced to third on a base-hit into left field by sophomore Matt LaPorta. Freshman Jared Kubin followed with an RBI single to left to score Corsaletti with the game's opening run and sophomore Brian Leclerc lofted a Texas Leaguer into right center to bring across LaPorta for a 2-0 advantage. UF executed a double steal to put two more runners in scoring position and Zuercher responded with a strikeout, but sophomore Brian Jeroloman (Wellington, Fla.) then ripped a two-run single past diving first baseman Chris Stelma for a four-run lead.
The Gators added to the lead with two outs and no one aboard in the second inning, when LaPorta cranked Zuercher's 1-0 offering into the left field bleachers for his team-leading sixth homer of the campaign to increase the Gator's margin to 5-0. The Gators added another run in the fourth inning, but the Rhody bullpen held the Gators scoreless over the final two innings. Freshman Brett Palanski (Nashua, N.H.) tossed a perfect inning of relief with one strikeout and fellow frosh Matthew Bruderek (East Norriton, Pa.) allowed one hit in a scoreless inning.
"Palanski and Broder did a very nice job in their very first outings," Leoni said.
Rhode Island threatened in the seventh, as junior Josh Nestor (Nashua, N.H.) drew a one-out walk and Rainville poked a single into right field. Ball got the second out on a strikeout and turned the game over to O'Day. The righty induced a ground ball from Stelma to leave the runners stranded. O'Day allowed a leadoff single in the eighth and retired the final five URI hitters to close the game.
The Gators out-hit the Rams by a 9-3 margin, as seven different players contributed a hit. Zuercher (0-1) allowed eight hits and six runs, with eight strikeouts and three walks in his season debut.
The three-game series concludes Sunday at 1 p.m. when Rhody sophomore Steve Holmes (Lincoln, R.I.), who finished 5-1 with a 3.46 ERA last spring, will oppose Florida senior Tommy Boss (1-0, 8.00 ERA).
