Rhode Island Lineup
Powell (CF), Lee (LF), Hess (2B), O'Neil (3B), Corin (1B), Figueroa (DH), Foley (RF), Beaulieu (C), Heiss (SS), Grillo (P)

Connecticut Starters
Yahn (3B), Toppa (LF), Susi (C), Feldstein (RF), Gnesta (DH), Winkel (1B), Stefanski (CF), Moriarty (SS), Hill (2B), Rossomando (P)

How it Happened
Rhode Island (22-16) jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first as Jordan Powell sent a leadoff double into left centerfield and then came around to score on a triple by Chris Hess. Hess doubled down the third base line in his next at-bat and eventually crossed the plate on an infield single by Mike Corin to make it a 2-0 game.

The Rams added four more in the bottom of the fourth inning, beginning with a successful suicide squeeze bunt by Kevin Heiss that plated Mike Foley. Hess followed with his third hit of the afternoon - a two-run double that scored both Heiss and Kyle Beaulieu - giving Rhode Island a 6-0 advantage.

Connecticut (22-17) threatened in the top of the fifth, loading the bases on a pair of two-out walks, followed by a single back to the mound. Blaise Whitman was then called on to get URI out of the jam, replacing Dom Grillo who went four an two thirds innings in his first career start. Whitman took John Toppa to a full count, but eventually got him fly out to shallow right field to preserve the six-run lead.

UConn scored its first run of the game in the top of the sixth, thanks to a Rhode Island error, but the Rams got it back in the bottom of the seventh when Hess scored on a double to right by Matt O'Neil. 

The Huskies took advantage of another Rhody miscue in the top of the ninth, scoring their final run of the game on an errant throw to first base on what would have been the final out of the game.

Inside the Box Score

• Redshirt junior Chris Hess went 4-for-4 with three doubles and one triple. He also scored two runs and drove in three. With today's performance, he broke into the top-5 on URI's all-time extra-base hits list with 71 (40 doubles, 19 triples, 12 home runs).
• Hess also matched URI's single-game record with his three doubles, becoming just the sixth player in program history - and first since Pat Quinn (vs. St. Bonaventure; 5/4/14) to double three times in one game.
• Redshirt senior Matt O'Neil finished the game with two RBI, upping his season total to 39, which is tops on the team.
• Junior Jordan Powell turned in his team-leading 16th multi-hit game of the season with a 2-for-5 day at the plate. He also extended his reached-base streak to a team-best 22 consecutive games.
• Junior Mike Foley also had a pair of hits for the Rams, as well as one run scored.
• Sophomore Kevin Heiss singled, drove in a run and scored one of his own. He also registered a game-high six assists in the field.
• Junior Dom Grillo made his first career start for the Rams and earned the win. He threw a career-high 85 pitches over 4.2 innings, striking out four and allowing just three hits with no runs.
• Redshirt senior Blaise Whitman got the Rams out of a bases-loaded jam in the top of the fifth, lowering his season ERA to 1.67.
• Redshirt sophomore Cam LaFleur tossed a scoreless seventh and eighth, striking out three and allowing just one single with no walks.

Up Next
Rhode Island returns to action on Friday afternoon when it hosts Fordham. First pitch at The Beck is set for 3 p.m.