March 27, 2005
Box Score
ARLINGTON, Va. - The University of Rhode Island baseball team trailed 3-0 and 5-2, but came back to take an 8-6 victory Sunday in the rubber match of a three-game series with George Washington.
The win gives the defending Atlantic 10 regular-season champion Rams their eighth-straight conference series victory and comes over the 2004 Atlantic 10 West Division champion Colonials (13-10, 1-2 A10).
"It doesn't matter who you play, it's nice to get off to a good start in conference play," Rhode Island head coach Frank Leoni said. "We had stumbled in the early going this year and we traditionally start slow in conference play, so it's great to win the first Atlantic 10 series. Hopefully we can take this and go on a little roll."
The Rams dropped the series' opener 8-3, but won the second game of Saturday's doubleheader 6-1 and took Sunday's game to win their eighth-straight Atlantic 10 series. Rhode Island dropped two of three games to Duquesne in the opening conference series last year, but won the final seven series on its way to a 20-4 league record.
Junior Josh Nestor (Nashua, N.H.) had three hits, including the game-winning RBI-single. Junior Daryl Holcomb (Wilmington, Del.) went 2-for-3 to raise his team-leading batting average to .425 and drove in two runs.
Senior Matt Sullivan (Nashua, N.H.) has now hit safely in 13-straight games, one away from the school record shared by Dan Batz in 2004 and Mike Schiappa in 2002.
Senior Mike Rainville (Pawtucket, R.I.) went 2-for-4 with two runs scored and one RBI. Junior Wayne Russo (Warwick, R.I.) had two hits, a runs scored and RBI and sophomore Dave Savard (Nashua, N.H.) also had two hits and drove in a run.
Sophomore Steve Holmes (Lincoln, R.I.) got the start and had some trouble against a potent Colonial lineup, but junior Tom Venedam (Suffern, N.Y.) pitched three solid innings of relief to earn the win and senior closer Mick Lefort (Lincoln, R.I.) came on to pitch a perfect ninth for his fourth save of the season.
The Rams (5-10, 2-1 Atlantic 10) trailed 2-0 after the first inning and 3-0 after three innings, but Rhody scored two runs in the top of the fourth.
Nestor led off the fourth with a single and Rainville put down on a sacrifice bunt and reached on an error, advancing Nestor to third. Russo singled in Nestor and moved Rainville to third and Holcomb reached on a fielder's choice that scored Rainville.
George Washington came right back with two runs in the bottom of the fourth to make it 5-2, but Rhody would put up four runs in the sixth inning to take the lead.
Sophomore Scott Brown (Portland, Maine) singled to start the inning and Nestor drew a walk. Rainville singled and George Washington committed an error that allowed Brown to score from second. Russo then reached on a fielder's choice that plated Nestor, and Holcomb followed with a sac fly to tie the game at 5-5.
With two outs, Savard came through with a RBI-single to give the Rams their first lead, but George Washington tied the game in the bottom of the inning on a home run.
Rhode Island scored the go-ahead run and added some insurance in the seventh. Cunningham reached on an error to lead off the inning and then advanced to second on a wild pitch. Brown reached on a fielder's choice, advancing Cunningham to third and then Nestor followed with a RBI-single to score Cunningham for a 7-6 lead. Rainville drove in Brown with a grounder to the shortstop for the final margin of victory.
"We showed a lot of poise and determination, we got behind early but we battled back and never gave up," Leoni said. "I know our team has a lot of guts and a lot of leadership. These players will never quit."
Rhode Island is scheduled to play on Tuesday at Boston College, but that game is in doubt due to field conditions. Rhody has its home opener on Wednesday against Hartford and plays a three-game Atlantic 10 series at Dayton next weekend.
