May 12, 2009

Box Score | Photos by Doug Learned

KINGSTON, R.I. - Senior Dan Rhault (Lincoln, R.I.) went 2-for-2 with a pair of walks and two runs scored as the Rhode Island baseball team downed Northeastern, 4-0, in its final home game of the 2009 season. The win improves URI's record to 34-17-1 while the Huskies fall to 26-22.

Sophomore starting pitcher Chris Pickering (Lincoln, R.I.) and junior reliever Dan Rossignol (Nashua, N.H.) combined for the shutout, striking out seven batters and allowing just four hits on the afternoon.

The victory improved Pickering to 6-2 on the season while Rossignol earned his first save. Northeastern's Brandon McNelis, meanwhile, took the loss for the Huskies.

Freshman Mike LeBel (Quincy, Mass.) got Rhody on the board in the bottom of the third inning when he ripped his seventh home run of the season to also plate sophomore Pete Mastors (Narragansett, R.I.) who had singled to left with one away. Rhault then made his way around the bases on a walk, a stolen base and a balk before scoring on an RBI single by junior Oliver Palmer (North Kingstown, R.I.).

From there, Pickering was dominant on the hill, allowing just two hits over the next four innings until being relieved by Rossignol in the top of the eighth. Rossignol retired the side in his first inning of work and gave up just one walk while facing four batters in the ninth.

The Rams scored their fourth run in the bottom of the eighth inning as Rhault led off with a double to deep left field, advanced to third on Palmer's sacrifice fly and crossed the plate on an RBI single by junior Rob DeVeney (Marlton, N.J.).

The Huskies best scoring opportunity came in the top of the second when they had runners on first and third with one down, but an outstanding defensive play by Palmer got Rhody out of the jam. NU's Brendan Stokes had shot a 1-1 pitch back up the middle where Palmer dove to his right to make the stop and flipped the ball to Rhault for the force out at second. Rhault quickly gunned over to first to complete the double play and get the Rams out of the inning.

With non-conference play now complete, Rhode Island travels to Saint Louis to wrap up the Atlantic 10 regular season schedule with a three game series against the Billikens. The teams will face one another at 8 p.m. (ET) on Thursday, 4 p.m. (ET) on Friday and Noon (ET) on Saturday.