April 18, 2008

Box Score

RICHMOND, Va. - Freshman Tom Coulombe (Lincoln, R.I.) went 3-for-4 with two runs and a pair of RBI as the Rhode Island baseball team defeated Richmond, 8-3, Friday afternoon. Sophomore Oliver Palmer (North Kingstown, R.I.) and junior Shaun Hagey (Ephrata, Pa.) also recorded three hits each to help the Rams post their seventh-straight win and fourth-consecutive victory in Atlantic 10 play.

Rhody jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the top of the second inning when senior Mike O'Malley (Nashua, N.H.) led off with a single to center field and stole second before scoring on freshman Evan Laude's (Long Beach, N.Y.) two-out triple to center. Coulombe's bunt single then plated Laude two give URI the early two-run advantage.

The Rams kept things rolling in the top of the fourth as O'Malley and sophomore Rob Deveney (Marlton, N.J.) strung together back-to-back doubles before junior Dan Rhault (Lincoln, R.I.) drew a walk and Laude's single up the middle scored Deveney. Coulombe then singled to left to load the bases for Palmer, who reached on a fielder's choice ball to the pitcher. Rhault was out on the play but Laude scored on a Richmond error. Hagey then singled down the left field line to score Coulombe, putting URI up 6-0.

The Spiders got two runs back in the bottom of the fifth inning before Rhault and Coulombe crossed the plate to make the score 8-2 in the top of the seventh. Richmond tallied one more in the bottom of the eighth, but that's as close as the Spider would get as Rhody held on for the 8-3 victory.

Senior Brett Palanski (Nashua, N.H.) earned the win, striking out six batters in as many innings. Stephen Owens was charged with the loss.

The two teams are back in action tomorrow afternoon, beginning at 1 p.m. Due to Sunday's weather forecast, the Rams and Spiders will play two nine-inning games to finish off the three-game series on Saturday afternoon.