March 11, 2005

Box Score

BRADENTON, Fla. - The University of Rhode Island baseball team dropped a 4-2 decision to IPFW on Friday afternoon.

Rhode Island, which hadn't played in a game since Feb. 25, went up against two teams wrapping up their Florida trip on winning streaks and came up short against both on Friday. The Rams lost 5-1 to Central Michigan (8-5), now winners of eight of their last nine, while IPFW (8-4) has a six-game winning streak.

Rhode Island sophomore Steve Holmes (0-1) was the hard-luck loser against IPFW, striking out 12 batters in seven innings, allowing five hits and three runs, two of which were earned.

The Rams had seven hits, but stranded seven runners on base. Senior Mike Rainville (Pawtucket, R.I.) has now hit safely in all four of the Rams games after singling and scoring a run against IPFW. Sophomore Daryl Holcomb (Wilmington, Del.) also had a hit and scored a run.

, while sophomore Scott Brown (Portland, Maine), senior Matt Sullivan (Nashua, N.H.), freshman Zachary Zaneski (Waterford, Conn.), senior Chris Stelma (Glenwood, N.J.) and senior Joe Viscuso (Farmingdale, N.Y.) each had a hit for the Rams.

Brandon Armstorng and Brent Alwine registered two hits apiece for IPFW. Cole Uebelhor improved to 2-0 with the win, going 7 1/3 innings, allowing six hits and two runs, while only walking one.

As in the first game of the day against Central Michigan, bases on balls continued to doom Rhody pitchers. IPFW scored two runs in the top of the first inning, taking advantage of two walks, a single and a hit batsman to take a 2-0 lead.

The Rams cut the gap to 2-1 when Rainville, freshman Zachary Zaneski (Waterford, Conn.) and senior Chris Stelma Glenwood, N.J.) tacked together three-straight singles with two outs in the fourth inning. Uebelhor then hit freshman CJ Simons (Wyoming, R.I.) with a pitch to give Simons his first collegiate RBI.

The Mastrodons got that run back in the sixth, when Armstrong had a pinch-hit double and later scored on a single to left by Alwine. Armstrong's second hit of the day helped IPFW make it 4-1 in the top of the eighth inning, but the Rams were able to score a run in the bottom of the inning.

Holcomb led off with a single and scored on a RBI-single by freshman Scott Brown (Portland, Maine). Rhode had runners on second and third, but IPFW's Adam Gibson was able to get out of the jam on his way his first save of the season.

Rhode Island returns to action on Saturday when the Rams play Sacred Heart at Twin Lakes Park in Sarasota at 5:15 p.m.

The Rams will play Sacred Heart on Saturday at 5:15 p.m.