March 28, 2009

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CINCINNATI - Junior Rob DeVeney (Marlton, N.J.) went 3-for-5 with four RBI and drove in the game-winning run in the 12th inning as the Rhode Island baseball team defeated Xavier, 8-7, Saturday afternoon at Hayden Field. Sophomore Chris Pickering (Lincoln, R.I.) earned the win for URI, holding the Musketeers hitless over the final two innings and ending the game with a two-out pick off with runners on first and third.

The win improved Pickering's record to 3-1 on the season while Rhode Island moves to 14-7 overall and 4-1 in the Atlantic 10. Xavier, meanwhile, drops to 12-8 overall and 3-2 in conference play.

Junior Oliver Palmer (North Kingstown, R.I.), sophomore Jeff Cammans (Jamestown, R.I.) and classmate Tom Coulombe (Lincoln, R.I.) finished with two hits apiece. Palmer and Cammans also scored twice each while freshmen Mike LeBel (Quincy, Mass.) drove in a pair of runs for the Rams.

Xavier's only lead of the game came in the first inning when leadoff batter Billy O'Connor opened the game with a homerun to right field. The Rams turned around and plated two in their next at-bat when DeVeney sent a 3-2 pitch over the left-center fence to also score Cammans who had reached on a single through the left side.

Rhody tacked on two more runs in the top of the third as senior Dan Rhault (Lincoln, R.I.) singled up the middle to spark a two-out rally. Palmer followed with an infield single before Cammans was hit by a pitch to load the bases. DeVeney and Coulombe then drew back-to-back walks to send Rhault and Palmer across the plate for a 4-1 advantage.

The Musketeers made it 4-2 in the bottom of the frame on Ben Thomas' RBI ground-out but Palmer led off the fifth with his third homerun of the series to put URI back up by three (5-2).

Xavier went on to score another in the bottom of the fifth to keep things at 5-3 until LeBel homered for the second time in as many days, making this score 7-3. LeBel's eighth-inning shot also plated Coulombe who had reached first on a bunt single.

Sean Farrell got XU to within two with a two-run homer in the bottom of the eighth and Jordan Conley's two-run double evened things at 7-7 in bottom of the ninth.

Xavier had a runner in scoring position with one out in both the 10th and 12th innings, but it was the Rams who converted on their scoring opportunity in the top of the 12th. Cammans had reached on an error by XU's second baseman Drew Schmidt and advance to second on the throw before crossing the plate on a DeVeney single up the middle.

Junior starter Nick Greenwood (Southington, Conn.) struck out five batters over six innings and was responsible to Xavier's first three runs. Greenwood was in line for the win until the Musketeers tied things up in the ninth inning. Sophomore reliever Gardner Leaver (Montauk, N.Y.) gave up two hits and two runs between the seventh and eighth innings before senior closer Luke Demko (Gilford, N.H.) came on in the ninth. Demko finished with four hits, two walks and two runs in two innings of work.

Rhody and Xavier return to Hayden Field to close out the A-10 series tomorrow at 11 a.m.