April 24, 2010

Game 1 Box Score | Game 2 Box Score

KINGSTON, R.I. - Sophomore Mike LeBel recorded four hits - a single, double, triple and home run - as the Rhode Island baseball team split an Atlantic 10 doubleheader with Xavier on Saturday afternoon. The Rams took the first game by a score of 3-2 before falling 7-6 in game two.

The Rams are now 12-8 against Xavier, dating back to the first time the two squads met in 2006. Since then, eight games have been decided by a single run and 15-of-20 have been decided by three runs or less.

LeBel recorded a pair of hits in each game and finished the day with two runs and two RBI. Junior Tom Coulombe added three hits and two runs on the afternoon while sophomore Milan Adams drove in three runs on two hits.

Rhode Island (20-18, 9-6) never trailed in game one as LeBel, junior Kyle Borden and Adams crossed the plate in the first, fourth and fifth innings, respectively, before the Musketeers got on the board.

Trailing 3-0 in the sixth, Xavier's Ryan Bellamy sent a two-run shot to left field to make it a 3-2 game and end junior Ken Graveline's streak of 21.2 consecutive innings without allowing an earned run.

However, XU (14-27, 8-7) was held hitless the rest of the way while Rhody held on for the victory.

Graveline - who struck out five batters over seven innings - earned the win while junior Gardner Leaver picked up his league-leading eighth save of the season.

Game two was just as close as the Rams and Musketeers traded the lead five times. A two run triple by Adams put URI in front, 2-1, in the bottom of the second, but a shaky fourth inning - where Rhody committed three errors - put the visitors back on top, 5-2.

Coulombe and freshman pinch runner Sean Caron both scored in the bottom of the sixth to get the Rams within one (5-4) before LeBel tied it up with a solo shot in the bottom of the seventh. Redshirt sophomore Dan Haverstick and Coulombe kept things rolling with back-to-back two-out triples to put URI back on top, 6-5, but Xavier countered with a pair of homers in the top of the ninth to take the 7-6 win.

Leaver - who was going for his second save of the day - was charged with the loss while XU's Seth Willoughby picked up the win.

The Rams are back in action on Tuesday afternoon when they travel to Brown for a 3 p.m. contest against the Bears.