May 2, 2008

Box Score

KINGSTON, R.I. - Freshman Pete Mastors' (Narragansett, R.I.) sixth-inning pinch-hit single drove in what proved to be the winning run as the Rhode Island baseball team took down Saint Joseph's, 9-8, Friday afternoon at Bill Beck Field. Senior Zach Zaneski (Waterford, Conn.) was one of four Rams to finish with multiple hits in the win and also added a run and two RBI.

Senior Mike O'Malley (Nashua, N.H.) went 2-for-4 with a run and an RBI, junior Dan Rhault (Lincoln, R.I.) had two hits and two runs and freshman Evan Laude (Long Beach, N.Y.) finished with two hits and two RBI. Freshman Tom Coulombe (Lincoln, R.I.) also recorded two runs for the Rams.

Rhody (23-21-1, 10-8-1 Atlantic 10) broke open the scoring in the bottom of the second inning, using a two-out rally to plate six unearned runs. Laude led off with a single through the right side and advanced to second on Rhault's bunt single. Coulombe then reached safely on a fielder's choice bunt that Saint Joseph's pitcher Randy Mower threw to third to get Laude on the force play.

Sophomore Zoey Angulo (Miami, Fla.) flied out to right for the second out of the inning before an error by SJU shortstop Joe Cook allowed sophomore Oliver Palmer (North Kingstown, R.I.) to reach safely while Coulombe to took third and Rhault crossed the plate for the Rams' first run. Zaneski, O'Malley and sophomore Rob Deveney (Marlton, N.J.) then strung together back-to-back-to-back RBI singles before a walk to senior Shaun Hagey (Ephrata, Pa.) set up Laude's two-run single down the right field line, giving URI a 6-0 lead after two innings of play.

The Hawks (15-27, 7-12 A-10) clawed their way back with four runs in the top of the third but a run-scoring single by Zaneski plated Coulombe in the bottom of the inning to keep the Rams up by three (7-4).

Hagey's fourth-inning solo shot put Rhody up 8-4, but St. Joe's came back with a three-run fifth inning and tied things at 8-8 in the top of the sixth. It was as close as the Hawks would get though, as Rhault belted a two-out double in the bottom of the inning and scored the final run of the game on Mastors' pinch-hit single through the left side.

Junior Luke Demko (Gilford, N.H.) struck out six of his 10 batters faced to earn the win in 2.1 innings of relief while sophomore Tim Boyce (Swansea, Mass.) faced the minimum six batters in the final two innings to earn his third save of the season. Saint Joseph's Mark Dolaghan was charged with the loss.

The two will teams return to Bill Beck Field, tomorrow afternoon at 1 p.m.