March 21, 2009

Box Score | Photo Gallery

ARLINGTON, Va. - The Rhode Island baseball team scored six runs in the top of the ninth to post an 11-7 comeback victory over George Washington in the Atlantic 10 opener for both teams, Friday afternoon. Junior Rob DeVeney (Marlton, N.J.) - who narrowly missed hitting for the cycle - reached base four times as he doubled, tripled, homered and walked.

Freshman Mike LeBel (Quincy, Mass.) also recorded three hits for the Rams, extending his hitting streak to four games.

Rhode Island (11-5) scored early as sophomore Pete Mastors (Narragansett, R.I.) led off with a double in the top of the first and went on to score on a sac-fly by senior Dan Rhault (Lincoln, R.I.)

The Colonials (9-12) got one back in the bottom of the frame but Rhody came back and plated two more in the second inning and another in the third to lead 4-1 after three complete innings.

GW used a three-run sixth to even things at 4-4 and - despite DeVeney's go-ahead homerun in the top of the eighth - took a 7-5 lead with another three-run inning in the bottom of the eighth.

The Rams rallied back in the top of the ninth though. Junior Oliver Palmer (North Kingstown, R.I.) singled through the left side to score freshman Milan Adams (Exeter, R.I.) and sophomore Kenny Burns (Shelton, Conn.) and sophomore Tom Coulombe (Lincoln, R.I.) followed with a two-run single that plated Palmer and junior Zoey Angulo (Miami, Fla.). DeVeney then tripled, scoring sophomore Jeff Cammans (Jamestown, R.I.) before crossing the plate on a base hit by LeBel.

Senior Luke Demko (Gilford, N.H.) came in to close things out for the Rams, ending the game with a 1-2-3 inning for his fifth save of the season. Sophomore Chris Pickering (Lincoln, R.I.) gave up four hits in three innings to earn the the win after junior starter Tim Boyce (Swansea, Mass.) struck out eight batters in five innings of work. Jay Lively took the loss for George Washington.

The Rams and Colonials return to Barcroft field for a 1 p.m. game on Saturday afternoon.