May 4, 2007

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KINGSTON, R.I. - Rhode Island junior Brett Palanski (Nashua, N.H.) threw eight shutout innings with a season-high nine strikeouts as the URI baseball team cruised to a 5-1 win over George Washington on Friday afternoon at Bill Beck Field in Kingston, R.I. Senior Ryan Cunningham (Centreville, Va.) recorded his 14th multiple-hit game of the season, going 2-for-2 with a run scored and two walks while classmates Scott Brown (Portland, Maine) and Eric Larson (Bradenton, Fla.) each had a hit, a run and an RBI.

Rhody opened the scoring with a run in the bottom of the second when junior Shaun Hagey (Ephrata, Pa.) plated senior Gregg Allen (Dighton, Mass.) who had reached base with a lead-off double to left center.

Palanski gave up just three hits over the next five innings and struck out four batters before the Rams scored again in the bottom of the seventh. Cunningham led off with a single through the left side before advancing to second on Hagey's sacrifice bunt and taking third on a passed ball. Freshman Oliver Palmer (North Kingstown, R.I.) then grounded out to the mound to score Cunningham and give the Rams a 2-0 advantage.

Senior Dave Savard (Nashua, N.H.) singled to center to start the eighth and moved into scoring position after stealing second. He then made the score 3-0 on Brown's double to right center. With Larson at the plate, Brown stole third and then scored on Larson's single to right field.

After a George Washington pitching change, Larson stole second and took third on a wild pitch. With one out and Cunningham and Larson on the corners, Hagey picked up an RBI on a sac-bunt which plated Larson for the Rams' final run of the game.

Junior Jamie Degidio (Narragansett, R.I.) closed out the game for URI, giving up one run on two hits in the top of the ninth.

The Rams and Colonials will meet again, tomorrow afternoon, at 12:00 p.m.