Rhode Island Lineup
Kopack (SS), Cucinotta (CF), Genther (DH), DePino (1B), Ramirez (2B), McKenzie (RF), R. Butler (C), Marchetti (LF), Salgado (3B), Diaz (P)
Sacred Heart Lineup
Jordan (CF), Mongelli (SS), Donnelly (LF), Emerson (3B), Sutherland (RF), Farruggio (DH), D'Amore (1B), McGuire (2B), Galletti (C), Kramer (P)
How it Happened
Jack Cucinotta's ninth-inning grand slam gave Rhode Island its first win of the season – in walkoff fashion – as the Rams scored nine unanswered runs to knock off Sacred Heart 10-6 Wednesday afternoon at Bill Beck Field.
With Sacred Heart up 1-0 heading into the bottom of the first, Cucinotta reached on an infield single with one away and advanced to third when
Eric Genther singled up the middle. A sacrifice fly by
Anthony DePino then allowed Cucinotta to cross the plate and even the score at 1-1.
Rhody managed just one more baserunner through the next four frames however, while the Pioneers stretched their lead to 6-1. SHU's Jack Kramer cruised through 5.2 innings before being lifted for a lefty-lefty matchup with two away in the sixth and Genther coming to the plate for the Rams. Genther won the battle with a six-pitch walk, and then DePino sent the first pitch he saw over the wall in straightaway center to make it a 6-3 game.
Bo Brutti replaced reliever
Sean Sposato to start the seventh, and faced the minimum through two frames – including four straight strikeouts to get the Rams to the bottom of the eighth. There, back-to-back singles by
Addison Kopack and Cucinotta set up Genther's two-run double that made the score 6-5. Genther then advanced to third on a fly out by DePino, before tying the game on a sac-fly by
Alex Ramirez.
Broc French fired a 1-2-3 ninth to get the Rams back to the plate, where they put the game away. Pinch hitters
Anthony Raimo and
Joe Fortin were walked and hit by a pitch, respectively, before a four-pitch walk to Kopack loaded the bases for Cucinotta. Despite facing a rare pitching change during his at-bat, Cucinotta eventually lined a 2-1 offering over the center field wall to complete the dramatic comeback victory.
Inside the Box Score
- Grad student Jack Cucinotta ended the game 3-for-5 with four RBI and three runs scored.
- Freshman Eric Genther singled, doubled and walked. He also scored twice and drove in two runs.
- Freshman Anthony DePino drove in three runs – one on a sac-fly and two on his team-leading third home run of the season.
- Redshirt sophomore Addison Kopack singled, walked and scored twice hitting in the leadoff spot. His eighth-inning single extended his hit streak to five games.
- Junior Sean Sposato allowed one run through 3.2 innings of relief. He struck out two and picked off a pair of base runners.
- Senior Bo Brutti faced the minimum and recorded four strikeouts through two innings of relief work.
- Junior Broc French tossed a 1-2-3 ninth inning to pick up his first win of the season.
Up Next
The Rams are back in action on Friday when they open a three-game series against Bryant.