May 17, 2007

Box Score

NORRISTOWN, Pa. - Seniors Scott Brown (Portland, Maine) and Eric Larson (Bradenton, Fla.) each recorded three hits as the Rhode Island baseball team held on for a 6-5 win over Saint Joseph's, Thursday afternoon at Latshaw-McCarthy Field in Norristown, Pa. The win, which ended a four-game losing streak for URI, was the team's 20th victory of the season.

Rhode Island (20-28, 14-11 Atlantic 10) took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first when Larson sent a two-out triple down the right field line and scored on a single to center by senior Gregg Allen (Dighton, Mass.).

URI went on to plate five more runs in the third inning as senior Dave Savard (Nashua, N.H.) extended his hitting streak to nine games with a single to right and stole second with Brown at the plate. Savard then made the score 2-0 on Brown's single up the middle. Larson followed with a base hit and both runners later scored on a Cunningham single through the left side. Junior Zach Zaneski (Waterford, Conn.) kept things rolling with an RBI single that scored Cunningham and then crossed the plate on classmate Mike O'Malley's (Nashua, N.H.) double to left center to give the Rams a 6-0 lead.

Saint Joseph's (10-37, 6-19 Atlantic 10) got on the board with a run in the bottom of the third and scored again in each of the final four innings, but the comeback fell short as Rhody held on for the 6-5 win.

Junior starter Brett Palanski (Nashua, N.H.) earned his team-leading fifth win of the season, striking out nine batters in six innings, while redshirt freshman Tim Boyce (Swansea, Mass.) hurled the final three to pick up his team-best fifth save. The Hawks' Randall Mower was charged with the loss, giving up nine hits and six runs in 2.1 innings of work.

The two teams will meet again tomorrow afternoon at 1:00 p.m.