April 8, 2007
Box Score
AMHERST, Mass. - The University of Rhode Island baseball team put together a season-high 18 hits, including four homeruns, to cruise to a 16-3 win over Massachusetts on Sunday afternoon, April 8, at Earl Lorden Field in Amherst, Mass. Seven different Rams recorded multiple-hit outings for URI, including senior Scott Brown (Portland, Maine), who homered in back-to-back at bats.
Senior right-hander James Norcott (Norton, Mass.) improved to 2-3 on the season with his second-consecutive win. After seven innings on the hill, Norcott ended the day with no walks, four hits, three strikeouts and zero earned runs. UMass starter Tim Comiskey was charged with the loss, giving up one hit and one earned run in two innings.
Massachusetts (6-13, 3-6 Atlantic 10) got on the board first with an unearned run in the first inning. Lead-off batter Ryan Franvzek reached base on a third-strike catcher's interference call charged to junior Zach Zaneski (Waterford, Conn.) and then scored on a single by Adam Tempesta.
Rhode Island (8-17, 5-4 Atlantic 10) took advantage of a shaky UMass defense in the top of the second as senior Eric Larson (Bradenton, Fla.) scored on an error by Comiskey. Zaneski, who reached first on an error by Massachusetts shortstop Lou Proietti, went on to make the score 2-1 when he scored on a wild pitch.
In the top of the fourth, Rhody stretched its lead to 3-1 with Larson's sixth homerun of the season and second in as many days against the Minutemen.
The Rams went on to score 12 more runs over the next three innings for a 15-1 advantage heading into the bottom of the seventh. Brown recorded his first round-tripper in the fifth and sent another two-run shot out of the park in his next at-bat two innings later. Senior Gregg Allen (Dighton, Mass.), who sent a sixth-inning double to left center, also homered for URI in the seventh inning while senior Dave Savard (Nashua N.H.) and Zaneski both recorded seventh-inning doubles.
Rhody junior relievers Matthew Bruderek (East Norroton, Pa.) and Matt Miranda (Suffern, N.Y.) each gave up one run in the eight inning before junior Dan Rhault (Lincoln, R.I.) tallied URI's final run in the top of the ninth for the 16-3 victory.
Zaneski and freshman Oliver Palmer (North Kingstown, R.I.) each recorded two singles and a double in the win. Zaneski also scored twice and picked up two RBI while Palmer drove in one run.
Savard, Allen, Brown, Larson and Rhault all had two hits on the afternoon. Savard was 2-for-5 with two runs. Allen, who extended his hitting streak to eight games, went 2-for-5 with a homerun, a double, two runs and three RBI. Both of Brown's hits were two-run homers as the Rhody right fielder collected four RBI and scored twice. Larson, who went 2-for-4 with a homerun, an RBI and four runs, recorded URI's only stolen base of the game. Rhault ended the day going 2-for-5 with one run and two RBI while senior Ryan Cunningham (Centreville, Va.) chipped in three runs on one hit and three walks.
The Rams are back in action on Tuesday, April 10, when they host Harvard (9-11, 5-3 Ivy League) at 3:00 p.m.
