How It Happened
Katie Zaun pitched out of a bases-loaded, one out jam in the bottom of the seventh to save the victory as Rhode Island held off host Wofford Saturday afternoon at the Wofford Invitational.

The Rams led the game from start to finish. URI (1-2) manufactured a run in the top of the first inning when Hannah Hernandez led off the game by reaching on an error. A pair of groundouts advanced her to third and Hernandez came in on a wild pitch as the Rams scored without the benefit of a hit.

In the top of the fifth, the Rams again took advantage of a Wofford miscue. Hernandez reached on an error with one out and wound up on second base. Leilyn Alvarez singled to put runners on the corners, and then Alvarez stolen second. Sydney Yoder reached on an error that allowed by Hernandez and Alvarez to come around. Later in the inning, Cassie Swenson drove in pinch runner Maddie Melice with an infield single to push the lead to 4-0.

Rhody started Liz Lynchard (1-0) worked the first four innings without allowing a run. She faced the first two batters of the fifth, but both reached. This prompted Zaun to enter. She walked the first batter she faced, creating a bases-loaded, no out situation. Rhody third baseman Emily Power came up with the play of the day, snaring a line drive off the bat of Desirae Devine and doubling up the lead runner to record two outs. Havalynn Abernathy followed with a run-scoring single to get Wofford on the scoreboard, but Zaun got the next batter on a groundout to end the inning.

Wofford (4-3) made things interesting in the bottom of the seventh, loading the bases with one out after singles by Devine and Abernathy and a walk to Hope Ingle. However, Katie Zaun was able to bear down and induce an infield fly off the bat of Megan Towery and a flyout by Gracie Parker to end the game.

Inside the Box Scores

• Graduate student Liz Lynchard (1-0) earned her first win of the season, scattering six hits and striking out two over 4.0 innings. She did not walk a batter.
• Junior Katie Zaun pitched 3.0 scoreless innings to earn her third career save.
• Junior Leilyn Alvarez had a three-hit day. She had a double, two singles, one stolen base and one run scored.
• Graduate student Cassie Swenson was 3-for-3 on the day with a double, two singles and one run batted in.
• Sophomore Hannah Hernandez scored two runs.
• Sophomore Kylie Bulinski and graduate students Elena Gonzalez and Skyler Rapuano each singled once.
• Senior Maddie Melice made her first appearance of the year as a pinch runner and scored a run in the opener.
• Rhode Island did not make an error.

What's Next
Rhode Island will play Saint Francis at 5:30 p.m. Saturday. The winner will take on the winner of Wofford-Northern Kentucky at 12:30 p.m. on Sunday. The losers of the two games will play in the event's consolation game at 10:30 a.m. Sunday.