Rhode Island Lineup
White (CF), Cavaliere (LF), Brodeur (2B), Vargas (1B), Coley (RF), Fortin (DH), Laske (C), Ramirez (SS), Salgado (3B), Twitchell (P)
 
East Carolina Lineup
Worrell (CF), Francisco (1B), Caddell (C), Agnos (3B), Makarewicz (LF), Norby (2B), Moylan (DH), Giles (SS), Hoover (RF), Smith (P)
 
How it Happened
Rhode Island (0-1) went toe-to-toe with No. 13 East Carolina, losing a well-played season opener 3-2 in 10 innings Friday night.

No. 13 East Carolina (1-0) broke a scoreless tie with a pair of two-out runs in the bottom of the fifth. Lane Hoover hit a soft liner down the left field line that got past the dive of Greg Cavaliere. Bryson Worrell followed with a hard shot that second baseman Josh Brodeur knocked down, but the infield hit brought Hoover in from third. Worrell stole second and advanced to third on an error, then scored when Thomas Francisco bounced a single up the middle, putting the Pirates up 2-0.

Rhode Island came back with two of its own in the top of the sixth. Tino Salgado reached on a one-out single, and Austin White sliced a double down the left field line, bringing Salgago all the way around. With two down, Brodeur came through when he drilled a single through the right side, bringing White around to tie the score.

The Rams had a golden opportunity in the top of the ninth inning. Brodeur led off the top of the ninth with an infield single to deep in the hole at short stop. Xavier Vargas followed with a single to left center, putting the first two runners on. Both moved into scoring position on a sacrifice bunt by Mark Coley. Max Mircovich was intentionally walked to load the bases. Jordan Laske got the count to 2-0 before ECU pitcher Garrett Sayler was lifted for Cam Colmore. On a 3-1 pitch, Colmore induced a 6-4-3 double play to end the threat.

Hoover was hit by a pitch to lead off the bottom of the 10th for ECU and moved to second on a wild pitch. A sacrifice bunt put Hoover on third with one out. On an 0-2 pitch, pinch hitter Christian Smallwood offered at a pitch in the dirt, but the first base umpire ruled that he checked his swing. On the next pitch, Smallwood chopped a single into left field, delivering Hoover from third with the walk-off run.

Inside the Box Score

• Both teams had six hits, two extra-base hits and three walks.
• Redshirt senior Nick Robinson gave Rhode Island a stellar relief outing, throwing 4.0 innings of shutout work. He struck out five while allowing just one hit and one walk.
• Junior Ryan Twitchell provided a solid start on the mound. He went 5.0 innings, allowing just one earned run on four hits and two walks.
• Junior Austin White doubled, had one run batted in and scored a run.
• Redshirt freshman Tino Salgado was the first baserunner of the season for Rhode Island, drawing a two-out walk in the top of the third. He later had URI's first hit and scored the team's first run of the season as well.
• Redshirt senior Josh Brodeur singled twice and drove in a run.
• Redshirt junior Joe Fortin reached safely twice, stinging a double and drawing a walk.
• Redshirt senior Greg Cavaliere had an active night in the field, recording 10 putouts in left field.
• Junior Xavier Vargas had one single.

Up Next
The Rams and Pirates play the second game of their three-game set Saturday at 2 p.m. The game will stream on ESPN+.

Mike Webb will take the mound for Rhode Island, going against preseason All-American Jake Kuchmaner.