May 15, 2010

Box Score |  Photo Gallery 

KINGSTON, R.I. - Sophomore Mike LeBel went 3-for-4 with two runs and two RBI as the Rhode Island baseball team posted a 6-4 win over Richmond on Autism Awareness Day at Bill Beck Field.

Juniors Tom Coulombe and Evan Laude also recorded multiple-hit performances for the Rams while senior Oliver Palmer drove in a pair of runs.

On the hill, junior Ken Graveline picked up his fifth Atlantic 10 win as he allowed three runs on eight hits with five strikeouts over 7.0 innings of work. Junior closer Gardner Leaver came on in the eighth and struck out three of the six batters he faced to notch his conference-best ninth save of the season.

Rhody (26-21, 15-8) got things started in the bottom of the first as LeBel drilled a lead-off single up the middle and came around to score on Palmer's double to right center. A ground out by junior Kyle Borden moved Palmer over to third to set up junior Tom Coulombe's RBI sac-fly which put URI in front 2-0.

LeBel scored again in the third inning, this time doubling down the left field line and taking third on a balk before crossing the plate on a sac-fly by Palmer.

Richmond (22-16, 8-15), however, rallied back and evened things up at three apiece after Adam McConnell's fifth-inning single scored Chris Cowell and Cameron Brown ripped a two-run homer in the sixth.

The Rams were quick to reclaim the lead as Coulombe scored what proved to be the winning run in the bottom of the sixth on a two-out single by Laude. URI tacked on a pair of insurance runs the following inning when LeBel's ground-rule double scored senior Rob DeVeney and redshirt sophomore Dan Haverstick - who had opened the inning with back-to-back singles.

Richmond's Billy Falasco took the loss, giving up three runs on six hits over three innings of relief.

Throughout the course of the game, a number of volunteers and Rhody baseball parents assisted with a silent auction/cookout/bake sale to benefit the Autism Project of Rhode Island. Following the conclusion of the game, all youth in attendance - including those from South Kingstown & Narragansett Little League - were welcomed onto the field for autographs and base-running with the Rams.

Rhode Island and Richmond return to Bill Beck Field to close out the three-game series on Sunday at Noon.