May 8, 2005

Box Score

KINGSTON, R.I. - After being named the University of Rhode Island baseball team's Rick Ligi Co-MVPs, junior lefthander Zack Zuercher (Warwick, R.I.) pitched a complete-game three-hitter and senior Matt Sullivan (Nashua, N.H.) hit his team-leading 10th home run as Rhody took a 6-3 victory over Fordham to split Sunday's doubleheader.

With the win in the second game, Rhode Island (27-16, 16-4 Atlantic 10) regained its two-game lead over Fordham (30-17, 14-6 Atlantic 10) in the Atlantic 10 East Division. Rhody, which already secured its third-straight Atlantic 10 Tournament berth, can clinch its third-straight A10 East Division crown with a victory in the rubber game Monday at noon. A win on Monday would also give Rhode Island its 14th-straight Atlantic 10 series victory.

Rhode Island sophomore Scott Brown (Portland, Maine), who had his school-record 18-game hitting streak snapped in the first game Sunday, went 2-for-3 with a double in the second game. Sullivan hits a two-run homer to give him 117 career RBIs, which is second all-time in school history. Senior Mike Rainville (Pawtucket, R.I.) hit a two-run double for Rhody.

Zuercher was perfect in six of the game's seven innings, allowing three hits, three runs and two walks, all in the second inning. He finished with seven strikeouts.

Zuercher regained his school record for consecutive innings pitched after getting the first four outs of the game without allowing a run. He had set the record at 18 2/3 scoreless innings pitched in his last start, only to have teammate James Norcott pass him at 19 consecutive shutout innings Thursday. Norcott's streak ended and Zuercher's was still alive, allowing the left-hander to retake the record at 20 consecutive scoreless innings before he allowed a run with one out in the second inning.

He ran into trouble in the second inning, giving up a leadoff double to Jeremy Bourgeois and a one-out single to Brian Kenney. After walking the next batter to load the bases, Eric Reese grounded out to score Bourgeois for the first run of the game. Zuercher then walked Rich Goulian to reload the bases and then went to a full count on Gary Kaible with two outs, and Kaible came through with a single up the middle to score two runs and give Fordham a 3-0 lead.

Zuercher struck out the next batter to end the inning, the first of 16-straight batters he would retire to end the game. Zuercher (4-4, 4-1 Atlantic 10), allowed

Matt Sullivan hit his team-leading 10th home run and now has 117 RBIs on his career, which is second in school history.

Rhody trailed 3-0 heading into the bottom of the third inning, but scored four runs in the inning to take the lead for good. Sophomore Dave Savard (Nashua, N.H.) led off the inning with a single to right and advanced to third on a pair of groundouts. With two outs, Sullivan hit his team-leading 10th home run of the season to pull Rhody within one run. Brown then reached on an error to keep the inning alive and sophomore Ryan Cunningham (Centreville, Va.) singled to center to put runners on first and second. Rainville followed with a two-run double down the left field line for Rhode Island's third hit with two outs in the inning and a 4-3 lead.

Rhode Island added two more runs in the fourth inning. Junior Josh Nestor (Nashua, N.H.) started the inning with a single to right and Savard was hit by a pitch. Senior Joe Viscuso (Farmingdale, N.Y.) moved the runners over on a sacrifice bunt and junior Daryl Holcomb (Wilmington, Del.) grounded out to second to plate Nestor for a 5-3 advantage. Sullivan then reaced on an error that allowed Viscuso to score for a 6-3 advantage.