June 4, 2005

Box Score

LONG BEACH, Calif. - The most successful season in University of Rhode Island baseball history came to an end Saturday when an infield chopper in the bottom of the ninth inning allowed No. 18 ranked Pepperdine to score its second unearned run of the game and take a 2-1 victory in the NCAA Regional.

"Our bullpen has been outstanding. It's not like Pepperdine hit the cover off the ball," Rhode Island head coach Frank Leoni said of the ninth inning. "It's an unusual way to end the season, on a ground ball to first base."

The loss ends the Rams season at 34-21, but while it was a disappointing finish to a great pitcher's dual, Rhody showed that it can hold its own on the national stage. Pepperdine is a very talented team that has taken down some of the best teams in the country this season, including Cal-State Fullerton, Long Beach, USC and Tulane. The Wave advance to the losers' bracket final against the either USC or Long Beach on Sunday at 1:00 p.m. Pacific Time.

The Rams lost both games in their first-ever NCAA Regional appearance, to No. 12 ranked Long Beach State and No. 18 Pepperdine. Rhode Island did win its first-ever Atlantic 10 Championship, second-straight A10 regular-season title and third-straight Atlantic 10 East Division crown.

"We heard a lot of innuendoes, a lot of 'two-and-done, thanks for coming,' talk," Leoni said. "We really wanted to play well and stick it to (those people) who thought we didn't belong here."

Rhode Island starter Zack Zuercher (Warwick, R.I.) was in a pitcher's dual with Pepperdine ace Kea Kometani and neither pitcher would figure in the decision. Zuercher came out after eight innings, allowing seven hits and one unearned run.

"He found a way to throw strikes with four different pitches," Pepperdine coach Steve Rodriguez said. "When he needed big pitches, he made them."

Kometani went 8 1/3 innings, allowing five hits and striking out 10.

Zuercher struck out four, but all four of those came with runners in scoring position, including three strikeouts to end innings.

Rhode Island came a few feet here and there from putting up more runs on Kometani, but it was Pepperdine who was able to break the 1-1 tie in the bottom of the ninth.

After a one-out single by Pepperdine's Patrick Rooney, Rhode Island was called for its second catcher's interference of the day to put runners on first and second. David Uribes rolled a single through the left side to load the bases with one out.

Luke Salas then hit a slow chopper down the first base line that left Rhode Island first baseman Scott Brown (Portland, Maine) with no play at the plate as Rooney scored with the winning run.

Senior Ryan Cunningham (Centreville, Va.) went 2-for-4 and sophomore Daryl Holcomb (Wilmington, Del.) also had two hits and scored the Rams only run of the game.

The Rams got on the scoreboard in the first inning when Holcomb led off with a single to right field. With two outs, Cunningham singled to right and then junior Josh Nestor (Nashua, N.H.) walked to load the bases. Kometani then hit Russo with a pitch to plate Holcomb from third for a 1-0 lead.

The Rams had a chance to add to that in the top of the third. After senior Matt Sullivan (Nashua, N.H.) reached on an error and Cunningham singled, both runners executed a double steal. Nestor cracked a line drive just inside of the first base bag that looked headed for extra bases, but Pepperdine first baseman Steve Kleen made a diving catch to end the inning.

In the third inning, the Waves drew a leadoff walk and then got a bunt single. After a sac bunt moved the runners over with one out, Zuercher struck out the next two batters swinging to end the inning.

Pepperdine tied the game in the bottom of the sixth when Chad Tracy reached on a catcher's interference, advanced to second on a wild pitch and scored on a flare inside the right field line by Danny Worth. Rhode Island just missed a chance to retake the lead in the seventh. Holcomb singled through the right side with one out. Sullivan went to a full count, lining a rocket just outside the left field foul pole. Sullivan fouled off three more pitches before striking out looking on a pitch that looked low and away.

In the seventh, Pepperdine hit a two-out triple and after an intentional walk and steal, had runners on second and third, but Zuercher struck out the next batter to get out of the jam.

The Rams had another chance to score in the eighth when Nestor reached on a two-base error and advanced to third on a grounder but was stranded.

Zuercher gave up a lead-off single to Tracy in the eighth, but again pitched his way out of the inning. Then in the top of the ninth, sophomore Dave Savard (Nashua, N.H.) drew a lead-off walk and then senior Joe Viscuso (Farmingdale, N.Y.) was narrowly thrown out on a sac bunt that put Savard in scoring position.

Sullivan hit a line drive to right field, but the right fielder was playing shallow and made a running catch to end the inning. That gave Pepperdine its chance to win it in the bottom of the ninth.