May 15, 2007
Box Score
KINGSTON, R.I. - Junior Zach Zaneski (Waterford, Conn.) went 3-for-6 with a homerun and five RBI as the Rhode Island baseball team fell to Hartford, 16-12, in an 11-inning marathon that ended with a walk-off grand slam, Tuesday afternoon in West Hartford, Conn. The loss marked Rhody's third extra-innings defeat this season as the Rams also fell to California (7-6) and Northeastern (5-4) in 11 innings.
With one out in the opening inning, junior Mike O'Malley (Nashua, N.H.) doubled to right field, stole third and then scored on a throwing error by Hartford catcher Chris Hebert. Seniors Eric Larson (Bradenton, Fla.) and Gregg Allen (Dighton, Mass.) both were walked before Zaneski sent a three-run homer to right field for a 4-0 Rhode Island lead. Senior Ryan Cunningham (Centreville, Va.) then singled to center and advanced to third on a double by junior Shaun Hagey (Ephrata, Pa.) before senior Dan Tucker (Warwick, R.I.) was hit by a pitch to load the bases for sophomore Dan Rhault (Lincoln, R.I.). Rhault grounded out to first to score Cunningham and give Rhody a 5-0 lead before lead-off batter senior Dave Savard (Nashua, N.H.) popped up to end the inning.
Freshman starting pitcher Dan Rossignol (Nashua, N.H.) retired two of Hartford's first nine batters and was charged with five runs on five hits before classmate Nick Greenwood (Southington, Conn.) took the mound with two outs and runners on second and third. Greenwood walked his first batter faced to load the bases before Ben Sobocinski flied out to center to end the inning.
In the top of the second, O'Malley singled to center and advanced to second on a wild pitch. Larson then walked and both runners moved up a base on another wild pitch by Hartford starter Brendan Floyd. After Allen was walked and Bryan Bloch relieved Floyd on the mound, Zaneski picked up two more RBI and gave Rhody a two-run lead with a double to left field. Allen then scored on Hagey's ground out to short to end the inning with the Rams up 8-5.
Hartford got a run back in the bottom of the second but URI stretched its lead to 11-6 after Savard crossed the plate in the third, Cunningham homered in the fourth and Savard scored again on a solo-shot in the top of the fifth.
Rhody took a six-run lead with its final run of the game in the seventh inning when freshman Jack Greenberg (Upper St. Clair, Pa.) doubled to left center and then scored on a single up the middle by classmate Oliver Palmer (North Kingstown, R.I.).
The Hawks clawed their way back into the game, scoring a run in the seventh and one in the eighth before plating four and tying the score, 12-12, in the bottom of the ninth. Redshirt freshman Tim Boyce (Swansea, Mass.) gave up a run and loaded the bases before junior closer Jamie Degidio (Narragansett, R.I.) entered the game with no outs. Hartford picked up a run when Degidio's first batter, Bill Perry, grounded into a double play before Ryan Crowley crushed a two-run shot to tie the score and force extra innings.
Crowley struck again in the bottom of the 11th inning, sending a walk-off grand slam over the right field fence for the 16-12 win.
Degidio was charged with the loss, giving up five runs in 2.1 innings. Greenwood threw five-and-a-third innings for the Rams, allowing just three hits and one run with six strikeouts. Rossignol, Greenwood, Boyce and Degidio shared the pitching duties with redshirt junior Matt Miranda (Suffern, N.Y.), freshman Eric Smith (Milford, Conn.) and freshman Mark Fraser (Nashua, N.H.), who combined for two runs and three strikeouts in 1.2 innings.
The Rams (19-28 overall, 13-11 Atlantic 10) will return to action on Thursday afternoon, when they travel to Saint Joseph's (10-36 overall, 6-18 Atlantic 10) for the first of three games against the Hawks. The two teams will close out conference play with a 3:00 p.m. game on Thursday, a 1:00 p.m. game on Friday and noon start on Saturday.
