How it Happened
Rhode Island led by a run heading into the final inning, but the Rams could not hold the lead. Bucknell scored once to tie the score and then again in the bottom of the eighth for a 3-2 walk-off win in the opener of a doubleheader Sunday. Both games are scheduled seven-inning contests.

Bucknell (4-9) struck first in the home half of the opening inning. Jacob Corson drew a one-out walk and moved to third when Grant Voytovich singled. A sacrifice fly off the bat of Sean Keys brought Corson in for the first run of the game.

Rhody (3-8) came right back in the top of the second. Eric Genther led off with an infield single and moved to second on a groundout. With two down, Alex Ramirez lined a two-run home run to right field, giving the Rams a 2-1 lead.
 
Rhody had the makings of a rally in the top of the fourth when Billy Butler had a one-out single and Anthony DePino followed with a double. Ramirez hit a tapper to the pitcher, and Butler got hung up in a rundown between third and home. After he was tagged out, the throw to second caught DePino straying too far from the bag, ending the threat as quickly as it began.

Bucknell threatened in the bottom of the sixth when Voytovich singled and Keys reached on a fielder's choice. An error on the play gave the Bison two runners on with one out. Relief pitcher Zach Fernandez came up with back-to-back strikeouts to end the threat.

The Bison got a leadoff single from Billy Kender off Jon Morrison to start the bottom of the seventh. Jake Wortman walked to put the potential winning run on with no outs. Morrison struck out Kyle Lyons. A long battle between Morrison and Anthony Sherwin led to a double to right on a 3-2 pitch that brought Kender in with the tying run. Pinch runner M Kelly thought about trying to score, but ultimately stopped at third. An intentional walk loaded the bases. Morrison got a flyout to shallow center and a strikeout to end the threat and send the game to extra innings.

Rhody was unable to score in the top of the eighth, and Quincy Clark came on to throw for the Rams. He walked the first batter he faced, Tyler Dunn, before he hit Jacob Terwilliger to move the potential winning run to scoring position with nobody out.

The call was made to Bo Brutti out of the bullpen, but he was greeted with a single to center by Kender that brought in Dunn with the winning run.

 Inside the Box Score

• Junior Trystan Levesque (2-1) allowed just one run on four hits, all singles, over 5.0 innings of work. He fanned five batters while walking two.
• Redshirt junior Zach Fernandez pitched a scoreless inning of relief, striking out a pair.
• Over his first four starts, Levesque has 24 strikeouts and just three walks allowed, giving him a strong 8-1 strikeout-walk ratio.
• Redshirt junior Alex Ramirez hit his second home run of the season, a two-run shot in the second inning. He left the game with an injury in the fifth inning after making a strong defensive play on a grounder up the middle.
• Sophomore Eric Genther singled and scored one run.
• Redshirt senior Billy Butler singled once to extend his hitting streak to six games.
• Sophomores Anthony DePino and Rob Butler each had a double.
• Freshman Jack Hopko and redshirt senior Mark Coley both had one single.

What's Next
Rhode Island and Bucknell close out the three-game series Sunday afternoon. The game will be streamed on ESPN+.