Feb. 19, 2010

Box Score

STARKVILLE, Miss. - Seniors Oliver Palmer and Zoey Angulo recorded three hits each as the Rhode Island baseball team fell to Mississippi State, 9-8, in the season-opener for both clubs, Friday night at MSU's Dudy Noble Field. Rhode Island held on to the lead through the majority of the game, but the Bulldogs rallied back in the bottom of the ninth to steal the victory.

Angulo scored three times and drove in a run for the Rams while Palmer crossed the plate once and collected two RBI. Senior Rob DeVeney also plated a pair of runs for Rhody while sophomore Mike LeBel finished with two hits and two runs on the night.

The Rams got to work early as LeBel singled up the middle to lead off the top of the first and then crossed the plate on Palmer's one-out single to right field.

However, the Bulldogs evened things up in the bottom of the frame before plating two more runs the following inning for a 3-1 advantage after two innings of play.

The MSU lead was short-lived though, as Rhody charged back and scored five times in the top of the third. Junior Kenny Burns got things started with a double down the right field line before LeBel drew a walk. Angulo then singled to right to score Burns and move LeBel to third. Palmer followed with his second hit of the night, this time driving in LeBel and advancing Angulo to second.

Junior Tom Coulombe then bunt-singled and advanced to second after a throwing error by State's Nick Routt. Angulo scored on the play while Palmed took third. Senior Rob DeVeney went on to plate both Coulombe and Palmer with a two-run single through the left side, putting URI on top, 6-3.

The Bulldogs made it 6-4 in the bottom of the third, but Rhody went back up by three (7-4) the next inning when an RBI-double by Palmer scored Angulo - who had reached on a two-out infield single.

Angulo crossed the plate again in the top of the sixth to put the Rams in front, 8-5, before State rallied back with a pair of runs in the bottom of the seventh, making it an 8-7 game.

Rhode Island - which stranded three runners in the seventh and two in the eighth - was unable to reach base in its last trip to the plate and took the field in the bottom of the ninth looking for three quick outs to secure the win.

However, back-to-back walks to MSU's Ryan Duffy and Wes Thigpen set up Jonathan Ogden's sacrifice bunt which moved both Duffy and Thigpen into scoring position with one out.

Junior Dan Johnson intentionally walked Jet Butler to load the bases for pinch hitter Jet Butler - who flew out to left field. Ryan Collins then singled to short with two away, plating pinch runner Trey Johnson and knotting the score at 8-8. Luke Adkins then ended things with a walk-off single that scored Thigpen and gave the Bulldogs the 9-8 comeback victory.

Senior starter Tim Boyce gave up eight hits and five runs over 3.1 innings of work before classmate Dan Rossignol allowed just three hits and two runs over the next 3.2 innings. Junior Brian Bodjiak tossed a 1-2-3 eighth inning, but walked MSU's first batter in the top of the ninth to finish with one earned run. Johnson then came on and gave up two walks and two hits to take the loss in his Rhody debut.

The Rams return to Dudy Noble Field tomorrow afternoon for game two of the three-game series with the Bulldogs. First pitch is slated for 3 p.m. (Eastern Time).