April 23, 2008

Box Score

KINGSTON, R.I. - Senior Zach Zaneski (Waterford, Conn.) recorded two hits, two runs and two RBI as the Rhode Island baseball team took down Connecticut, 9-4, Wednesday afternoon at Bill Beck Field. The win extends the Rams unbeaten streak to 11 games, dating back to an April 9th loss at UConn. Since then, Rhody has outscored its opponents by an 83-49 margin.

The Rams jumped out to an early lead on a four-hit, four-run first inning off of Connecticut starter Elliott Glynn. Sophomores Zoey Angulo (Miami, Fla.) and Oliver Palmer (North Kingstown, R.I.) led off with back-to-back singles up the middle before Zaneski's RBI single scored Angulo to give the Rams a 1-0 lead. A double steal then moved Palmer and Zaneski to third and second, respectively, before a bad throw by UConn catcher Brad Olt allowed Palmer to cross the plate and Zaneski to take third safely. Senior Mike O'Malley (Nashua, N.H.) scored the Rams' fourth and final run of the inning on a sacrifice fly by classmate Shaun Hagey (Ephrata, Pa.) after reaching on a double to left center and taking third on sophomore Rob Deveney's (Marlton, N.J.) sac bunt.

UConn got a run back in the top of the third but Hagey put the Rams back up by four in the bottom of the inning, scoring on a single up the middle by junior Dan Rhault (Lincoln, R.I.), who has now hit safely in the last 13 games.

Trailing 5-1 after four complete innings, the Huskies cut URI's lead to one with a three-run fifth that saw an RBI single by Mike Nemeth and a two-run double by Peter Fatse.

Solid pitching from the Rhody bullpen limited UConn to just three hits the rest of the way and kept Huskies off the scoreboard through the final four innings.

A four-run eighth inning sealed the win for Rhode Island as Rhault and senior Chris Parkinson (Utica, N.Y.) scored on wild pitches before Zaneski's single up the middle plated freshman pinch hitter Pete Mastors (Narragansett, R.I.) and Deveney's infield single sent Zaneski across the plate for the 9-4 victory.

Sophomore starter Dan Rossignol (Nashua, N.H.) earned the win, striking out four batters in five innings to improve to 3-1 on the season. Junior Luke Demko (Gilford, N.H.) and sophomores Mark Fraser (Nashua, N.H.) and Tim Boyce (Swansea, Mass.) combined for four innings of scoreless relief with four Ks and just three hits. Glynn took the loss for the Huskies.

With the win, the Rams improve to 21-19-1 while UConn dips just below .500 at 21-22.

The Rams are back in action this weekend, when they travel to Philadelphia for a three-game series at La Salle. The two teams will open play Friday afternoon at 3 p.m.