March 23, 2007

Box Score

RICHMOND, Va. - Rhode Island senior Eric Larson (Bradenton, Fla.) went 2-for-4 with a homerun and two RBI as the Rams were defeated, 10-3, at Richmond on Friday afternoon. The three-game series, which was moved to Richmond due to unplayable field conditions at URI, was the Atlantic 10-opener for both squads.

Richmond (11-10, 1-0 Atlantic 10) took a three-run lead in the top of the first inning on a homerun by Joe Mahoney after back-to-back hits by Benji Marshall and Hank Coogan to start the game. Rhody cut the Spiders' lead to two in the bottom of the inning when junior Shaun Hagey (Ephrata, Pa.) scored on classmate Zach Zaneski's (Waterford, Conn.) double to right center.

Down by nine in the bottom of the fourth, senior Ryan Cunningham (Centreville, Va.) drew a lead-off walk and was plated when Larson hammered his team-leading third homerun of the season, bringing the score to 10-3. That's as close as the Rams would get though, as Larson's sixth-inning single up the middle was Rhody's only other hit for the remainder of the game.

Senior James Norcott (Norton, Mass.) was charged with the loss after giving up 12 hits and 10 runs (five earned) in three innings on the hill. Richmond's Matt Zielinski picked up the win with six strikeouts in as many innings of work.

Rhode Island (2-12, 0-1 Atlantic 10) will face Richmond again at 1:00 p.m., tomorrow afternoon, at Pitt Field in Richmond, Va.