April 21, 2005

Box Score

NEW BRITAIN, Conn. - The University of Rhode Island baseball team used an eight-run fifth inning en route to a 9-3 win over Central Connecticut State in the first game of a doubleheader Thursday at Balf-Savin Field.

Sophomore left-hander Adam Perkins (Hudson, N.H.), who was named a Louisville Slugger National Player of the Week after pitching a no-hitter on April 12 against Iona, earned the win to improve to 6-1 on the season. He went six innings, allowing five hits and two runs while striking out seven.

Perkins did not allow a hit for the first three innings on Thursday, before giving up a lead-off double to John Blaze in the fourth, ending a streak of 12 consecutive innings without allowing a hit.

Perkins, who's 2.95 ERA is lowest among Rhody starters, held the Blue Devils scoreless over the first five innings, giving him a streak of 14 consecutive scoreless innings pitched. He gave up two runs in the sixth inning, both coming with two outs, which halted his consecutive scoreless-inning streak at 14 2/3 innings, which is tied for second all-time with teammate Zack Zuercher (Warwick, R.I.).

Rhode Island senior Chris Stelma (Glenwood, N.J.) went 3-for-4 with two RBIs and sophomore Scott Brown (Portland, Maine) went 2-for-3 with a run scored. Seniors Mike Rainville (Pawtucket, R.I.) and Matt Sullivan (Nashua, N.H.) each had two hits and drove in a run. Freshman Zach Zaneski (Waterford, Conn.) also had two hits.

Rhode Island (16-15) broke a scoreless tie with an eight-run explosion in the top of the fifth inning, helped by six RBI hits with one out.

Junior Wayne Russo (Warwick, R.I.) reached on an error to start the inning and Stelma grounded out to move Russo to second. Sophomore Dave Savard (Nashua, N.H.) singled through the left side and an error by the left fielder allowed Russo to score the game's first run. Savard stole second and Zaneski singled to give the Rams runners on the corners with one out.

Sophomore Daryl Holcomb (Wilmington, Del.) started the eighth-inning hit parade with a RBI-single to score Savard. Holcomb was the first of eight-straight Rhody hitters to reach base. Sullivan followed with a RBI-double to score Zaneski, and after Brown walked, sophomore Ryan Cunningham (Centreville, Va.) hit an infield single that scored Holcomb. Rainville's RBI-single plated Sullivan, Russo singled in Brown and Stelma's single pushed Cunningham across for a 7-0 lead. Savard hit a fielder's choice grounder that scored Rainville for the eighth run of the inning.

Central Connecticut snapped Perkins' 14 2/3 inning scoreless-inning streak in the bottom of the sixth, scoring two runs with two outs. Rhode Island got one of those runs back in the top of the seventh, when Rainville singled, advanced to second on an error and scored on Stelma's second RBI-single of the game.

Central Connecticut scored one run off of Dave Lipson (Norwalk, Conn.) in the seventh inning.