Box Score

March 13, 2011

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GAINESVILLE, Fla. - The Rhode Island baseball team fell to No. 1 Florida, 8-6, in the series finale Sunday afternoon at McKethan Stadium. Redshirt juniors Jeff Cammans and Greg Annarummo as well as senior Tom Coulombe and redshirt sophomore Pat Fortunato each finished with two hits in the loss.

Coulombe also scored twice for URI while Fortunato drove in a pair of runs. Rhode Island and Florida finished with 12 hits apiece.

Florida (14-2) got on the board in the first - on a run by Nolan Fontana - but Rhody used a two-out rally to even the score in the top of the second.

Junior Milan Adams got things started, taking first on four straight balls before moving to second on a single by classmate Dan Haverstick. Fortunato then singled to center to plate Adams and knot things up at 1-1 but the Gators spoiled Rhody's chances of scoring the go-ahead run when they used the hidden ball trick to get Haverstick out at second. It was the second time UF has done that this season.

Florida tacked on two more in the bottom of the fourth to go up 4-1 but the Rams chipped away at the lead as Haverstick scored on a two-out single by Cammans in the fifth and Coulombe scored on a sixth-inning RBI ground-out by junior Mike LeBel.

Once again though, the Gators extended their lead in the sixth - plating three runs on two hits and seeing four different Rhode Island pitchers - before adding another in the seventh to move in front 8-3.

URI (7-6) cut it to two (8-6) the following inning as Coulombe started things off with a walk and advanced to third on a double by LeBel. Pinch hitter Annarummo's infield single then loaded the bases for Adams, whose RBI single through the right side scored Coulombe and made it 8-4. Pinch hitter Pat Quinn then grounded into a double play which allowed LeBel to score before Annarummo crossed the plate on a single by Fortunato.

Rhode Island rallied again in the top of the ninth with Coulombe singling with two away and LeBel drawing a walk, but Annarummo struck out to end things in an 8-6 defeat for the Rams.

Redshirt senior Stephen Peterson took the loss for URI, giving up three runs (two earned) on seven hits over 3.1 innings. Florida starter Karsten Whitson picked up the win as he allowed just two runs on four hits in five innings of work.

Rhode Island returns to action on Friday when it faces nationally-ranked Connecticut in Charleston, S.C. It will be the Rams' fourth straight game against a ranked opponent.