March 18, 2008

Box Score

WILLIAMSBURG, Va. - Freshman Kenny Burns (Shelton, Conn.) went 3-for-4 with a homerun and two RBI as the Rhode Island baseball team was edged, 9-7, at William & Mary, Tuesday afternoon at Plumeri Park. Senior Shaun Hagey (Ephrata, Pa.) also chipped in three hits and two RBI in the loss.

With the game scoreless after three innings, the Rams got on the board first with a six-hit fourth inning that put them up by as many runs. Senior Mike O'Malley (Nashua, N.H.) led off with a single to left and crossed the plate on classmate Zach Zaneski's (Waterford, Conn.) double to center. Hagey then plated Zaneski with a double to center before sophomore Oliver Palmer (North Kingstown, R.I.) sent Zaneski home with Rhody's third consecutive double. Freshman Robert Noe (Lynnfield, Mass.) then made the score 4-0 with a run-scoring single to right center and Burns closed out the inning with a two-run shot over the left field fence to put Rhody up, 6-0.

The Tribe's bats came alive in the fourth as well, as Robbie Nickel and Greg Maliniak opened the inning with back-to-back homers to cut URI's lead to four.

William & Mary went on to plate seven more over the next three innings to take a 9-6 lead into the eighth, where Hagey's RBI single up the middle scored Zaneski and got the Rams within two runs.

It was as close as URI would get though, as Tribe closer Pat Kantakevich kept Rhody from crossing the plate over the final two innings to earn the save and secure the 9-7 victory.

Sophomore Mark Fraser (Nashua, N.H.) was charged with the loss after giving up five hits and three runs (all earned) in 0.2 innings. William & Mary's Logan Billbrough was credited with the win while Kantakevich earned the save.

The Rams (6-9) return to Kingston to open their Atlantic 10 slate with a three-game series against Temple, beginning Friday afternoon at 3 p.m. The two teams will also meet on Saturday at 1 p.m. and at noon on Sunday.