May 8, 2009

Box Score

AMHERST, Mass. - Senior Dan Rhault (Lincoln, R.I.) belted his third grand slam of the season - this one coming in the tenth inning - to lift the Rhode Island baseball team to an 11-7 victory over Massachusetts, Friday afternoon at Earl Lorden Field. Rhault finished the day 2-for-3 with a pair of runs and five RBI.

Junior Rob DeVeney (Marlton, N.J.) also went 2-for-3 on the day, adding a two runs, two RBI, a home run and a double.

Redshirt junior starter Tim Boyce (Swansea, Mass.) got a no-decision after giving up just two runs in 6.1 innings of work. Sophomore Ken Graveline (Prospect, Conn.), who came on in the bottom of the ninth, tossed the final two innings for URI. He faced seven batters and allowed just one hit to pick up his team-leading sixth win of the season. Graveline is now 5-0 in his last six appearances for the Rams.

The victory improves Rhode Island to 33-15-1 (18-3 Atlantic 10) while UMass drops to 19-24 overall and 11-11 in the conference.

Rhody led 2-0 after the first inning as sophomore Tom Coulombe (Lincoln, R.I.) doubled to plate Rhault before coming around to score on an error by UMass third baseman Sam Boone.

The following inning, DeVeney drew a lead-off walk and advanced to second on Boone's second error of the afternoon. Junior Zoey Angulo (Miami, Fla.) then doubled to right to score DeVeney and give the Rams a 3-0 advantage.

Rhody extended its lead to 4-0 in the top of the third as a sac-fly by DeVeney scored freshman Mike LeBel (Quincy, Mass.) who had stolen third after sending a one-out double to right center.

An RBI single by UMass' Jim Macdonald made it 4-1 in the bottom of the fourth but a solo-shot by DeVeney put URI back up by four (5-1) in the top of the sixth.

Macdonald drove in another run in his next at-bat, scoring Brian Baudinet in the bottom of the sixth to make it a 5-2 game.

Freshman Milan Adams (Exeter, R.I.) and sophomore Kenny Burns (Shelton, Conn.) both scored in the top of the eighth to push Rhode Island ahead 7-2 before Massachusetts came back and tied things up with five runs in the bottom of the inning.

After a scoreless ninth, Adams nearly went yard to lead off the top of the tenth but settled for a double after his shot to right centerfield dropped just shy of clearing the fence. Burns then reached on a fielder's choice sacrifice bunt as Adams advanced to third on an error by UMass first baseman Mike Gedman. Angulo was then hit by a pitch to load the bases and set up Rhault's game-winning grand slam.

Each of Rhody's starters recorded at least one hit on the afternoon with Rhault, DeVeney, Adams, Angulo and junior Oliver Palmer (North Kingstown, R.I.) each reaching safely twice.

The Rams and Minutemen will return to Earl Lorden Field on Saturday afternoon for Game Two of the three-game series. First pitch is slated for 1 p.m.