April 10, 2005

Box Score

KINGSTON, R.I. - The University of Rhode Island baseball team defeated Richmond 9-4 Sunday at Bill Beck Field to become the first Atlantic 10 team to sweep a series from the Spiders, along with handing Richmond just its fourth A10 series loss in four years as members of the conference.

The Rams took both games of Saturday's doubleheader by scores of 10-1 and 14-1, and jumped out to a 7-0 lead after two innings Sunday on their way to outscoring Richmond 33-6, and out-hitting the Spiders 40-14 in the three-game series. This was the first time Richmond (14-17, 7-5 Atlantic 10) had been swept in a conference series since dropping three games to Virginia Commonwealth on May 5-6, 2001 as members of the Colonial Athletic Association.

Steve Holmes allowed five hits and struck out 11 in eight innings of work to get the win.

The defending Atlantic 10 regular-season champion Rams are now 7-2 in the conference and the two-time defending East Division champs have sole possession of first place in the division. The Rams have won 10-straight Atlantic 10 series and are 27-4 over their last 31 A10 regular-season games.

"It's good to sweep anybody, it doesn't matter who it is, taking all three games is always tough," Rhode Island head coach Frank Leoni said. "It's great to follow up the way we did today, because teams have a tendency to come out flat after having such a tremendous day like Saturday. It was nice to come right out and put runs on the scoreboard early."

Richmond moved to the Atlantic 10 Conference for the 2002 season and entered this weekend with a 68-15 record in regular-season conference games and a 77-20 mark against A10 foes, including conference tournament games, since joining the league. The Spiders made their first trip to Kingston with a 21-2-1 mark Atlantic 10 regular-season series since becoming a member of the league.

But Rhody changed all that. The Rams had been the first Atlantic 10 opponent to win a game at Richmond's Pitt Field with a 5-3 extra-inning victory on April 6, 2003 and have now won five-straight against the Spiders. Rhody holds a 5-2 advantage in the all-time series making the Rams one of two Atlantic 10 opponents, along with St. Bonaventure, to hold a winning record against Richmond.

Rhode Island senior Matt Sullivan (Nashua, N.H.) went 4-for-5 with a home run, which ties him for the team lead with five, three of which came in this series. Sullivan, who hit two homers in the series' opener, also had two RBIs and three runs scored Sunday.

Mike Rainville had a single, double, triple and two RBIs.

Sophomore Ryan Cunningham (Centreville, Va.) had two hits, including a double, to extend his hitting streak to 16 games, one shy of the school record of 17. Sullivan holds that school record, which was snapped last Monday at Dayton. Senior Mike Rainville (Pawtucket, R.I.) was a home run short of the cycle, finishing the game 3-for-4 with a single, double, triple and two RBIs.

Sophomore Scott Brown (Portland, Maine) hit his first home run of the season, a two-run shot in the second inning, that puts him tied for the team lead in RBIs with 21. Sophomore Dave Savard (Nashua, N.H.) also had two hits for the Rams.

Sophomore Steve Holmes (Lincoln, R.I.) earned the win, going eight innings and allowing five hits, while striking out 11. Holmes had a perfect game going for 3 1/3 innings and would give up four runs, all coming by way of the long ball. He surrendered a three-run homer in the fourth inning and a solo shot in the eighth.

The Rams picked up right where they left off Saturday, scoring four runs in the bottom of the first inning. Senior Matt Sullivan (Nashua, N.H.) dropped a bunt single down the third base line and sophomore Scott Brown (Portland, Maine) was hit by a pitch to put runners on first and second with one out. A wild pitch moved the runners up, but when Richmond tried to get the trail runner Brown at second, the throw went into center field, allowing Sullivan to score for a 1-0 lead.

Ryan Cunningham extended his hitting streak to 16 games, one shy of Matt Sullivan's school record.

Cunningham sliced a single to right for his sixth hit in his last six at-bats to put runners on the corners and senior Mike Rainville (Pawtucket, R.I.) followed with a two-run triple to left center field, just out of the reach of a diving Ben Zeskind. Junior Josh Nestor (Nashua, N.H.) drove in Rainville with a sacrifice fly to deep center field to put the Rams up 4-0.

Rhody piled on three more runs in the second inning. Senior Joe Viscuso (Farmingdale, N.Y.) singled to center and sophomore Daryl Holcomb (Wilmington, Del.) bunted him over to second. Sullivan followed with a RBI-single to left to score Viscuso and Brown drilled a home run over the wall in right center for a 7-0 lead.

After Holmes had retired the first 10 Richmond hitters in order, the Spiders scored three runs in the fourth inning on a homer by Joe Mahoney to cut the gap to 7-3. Rhode Island got that run back in the sixth when Holcomb led off with a double, advanced to third on a single by Sullivan and would score when Richmond threw out Sullivan on a steal attempt.

Richmond's Ben Zeskind hit a solo homer in the eighth inning, but Sullivan answered in the bottom of the inning with a solo shot of his own. Senior Mick Lefort (Lincoln, R.I.) pitched a perfect ninth with two strikeouts.

Rhode Island wraps up a six-game home stand on Tuesday when the Rams host Iona at 3:30 p.m.