March 10, 2006

Box Score

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla.-- Rhode Island baseball defeated Seaton Hall, 5-2 on Friday evening at Santaluces Sports Complex. Stephen Holmes pitched a complete game for the Rams, striking out 11 batters to earn the win.

Seton Hall (3-9) scored its only two runs of the game in the first inning. Mike Young reached base on a base-on-balls, and advanced to third on a single by Brandon Cohen. Greg Miller reached base on an error two plays later, and Young crossed the plate to put the Pirates up 1-0. Cohen moved to third on the fielding error after he had stole second a play earlier. With Casey Hines up at-bat, Miller stole second and Cohen scored while the throw was going to second to give SHU a 2-0 lead.

In the fifth, Rhode Island cut the score to 2-1. After Pirate pitcher Corey Young struck out the first batter, Zach Zaneski and Mike O'Malley hit back-to-back singles and Shaun Hagey was walked to load the bases. Zaneski scored on the second balk call of the inning for the lone run.

The Rams took the lead in the eighth inning, scoring two runs, to make the score, 3-2. URI loaded the bases with no outs, after Ryan Cunningham led off the inning with a walk, Steve Holcomb reached base on an error, and Josh Nestor walked. With Zaneski up at the plate and no outs, he blasted a two-run single to right field, scoring Cunningham and Holcomb. Nester and Zaneski advanced to second and third on the throw home, but Seton Hall's Miller pitched himself out of jam and sitting the next three batters down.

Rhode Island added two more in the ninth to seal the game. Wayne Russo led off the inning with a walk, and advanced to second on a groundout. With Holcomb at the plate, he hit a single to center field to score Russo. Holcomb ran the bases and scored to make the final score 5-2.

Rhode Island stranded ten runners on base while Seton Hall left eight. Freshman pitcher Corey Young pitched seven innings for the Pirates, allowing one run, striking out seven and walking four.

Rhode Island will continue its southern road swing with 3:00 p.m. meeting with Michigan State on Saturday (March 11).