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University of Rhode Island

baseball at utrgv dugout
Tori Alvarado/UTRGV Athletics
4
Winner Rhode Island URI 1-0
3
UT Rio Grande Valley UTRGV 0-1
Winner
Rhode Island URI
1-0
4
Final
3
UT Rio Grande Valley UTRGV
0-1
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 R H E
Rhode Island URI 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 2 0 1 4 7 1
UT Rio Grande Valley UTRGV 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 1 0 0 0 3 7 0

W: Hughes, Tommy (1-0) L: Sanchez, Aaron (0-1)

3
Rhode Island URI 1-1
13
Winner UT Rio Grande Valley UTRGV 1-1
Rhode Island URI
1-1
3
Final
13
UT Rio Grande Valley UTRGV
1-1
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
Rhode Island URI 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 0 1 3 11 0
UT Rio Grande Valley UTRGV 0 0 0 6 0 0 0 7 X 13 13 0

W: Valdez, Tyler (1-0) L: Levesque, Trystan (0-1)

Game Recap: Baseball |

Rhode Island Splits Doubleheader at UTRGV

Rhode Island Starters - Game One
Moroney (SS), Genther (RF), Perron (2B), DePino (3B), Borrelli (1B), Levin (CF), Hopko (LF), Butler (C), Hindle (DH), Grotyohann (P)

UTRGV Starters - Game One
York (SS), Torres (LF), Lopez (2B), Raygoza (DH), Vazquez (1B), Valdez (3B), Lancia (C), Warren (RF), Rodriguez (CF), Cabral (P) 

Rhode Island Starters - Game Two
Moroney (SS), Genther (RF), Perron (1B), DePino (3B), Anderson (DH), Levin (CF), Hopko (LF), Borrelli (C), Penney (2B), Levesque (P)

UTRGV Starters - Game Two
York (SS), Torres (LF), Lopez (2B), Raygoza (DH), Vazquez (1B), Valdez (3B), Warren (RF), Gonzalez (C), Rodriguez (CF), Limas (P) 

How it Happened 
Rhode Island Baseball split a pair of games at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley to kick off the 2024 season. 

The Rams and the Vaqueros were supposed to meet for singles on Friday and Saturday, but both contests were rained out. 

Game One - Rhode Island 4, UTRGV 3 (11 innings)
Brody McKenzie delivered the game-winner in the 11th inning of the first contest, driving in DJ Perron who had reached with a leadoff double. 

His key RBI single came a few frames after he robbed UTRGV's Kade York of what would have been a walk-off, two-run homer in the bottom of the ninth. McKenzie's over-the-fence grab in left field was the final out of that inning and sent the game to extras. 

A two-run shot off the bat of Michael Anderson in the top half of the frame also prolonged the game, as the Rams (1-1) had entered the inning facing a 3-1 deficit. The Vaqueros (1-1) had scored a pair of runs in the fifth and added one in the eighth, while Rhody's other run was accounted for by a seventh-inning home run from Brody Levin. 

Though Tommy Hughes picked up the win after tossing the final two frames, it was a group effort from the staff. Hughes, starter Connor Grotyohann (5.0 IP, 2 R), Evan Maloney (2.0 IP, 1 R) and Zach Fernandez (2.0 IP, 0 ER) combined for 13 strikeouts while scattering seven total hits.

Game Two - UTRGV 13, Rhode Island 3
A couple of breakout innings allowed the Vaqueros to even up the series in game two, as the home team put up six runs in the fourth and added seven more in the eighth. 

Both of Rhode Island's scores came from RBI singles. Jack Hopko first got the Rams on the board, handing his team a 1-0 lead, when he drove in Brody Levin in the fourth and Reece Moroney later added one of his own in the sixth, plating Hopko. 

All but four of UTRGV's runs came from base hits, with the outliers being a pair of RBI groundouts, a hit by pitch and a bases-loaded walk. 

Five different arms made appearances for URI. Starter Trystan Levesque was tagged with the loss, giving up five runs in 3.2 innings.

Despite the difference in scoring, the teams had similar production with UTRGV earning a narrow 13-10 advantage in hits. 

Inside the Box Score 

  • Freshman Reece Moroney earned the start in both games and had a single in his first collegiate plate appearance. He finished the day 4-for-10.
  • Sophomores Michael Anderson and Jack Hopko tied for the team lead with two RBI apiece.
  • Anderson and junior Brody Levin, appearing in his first game as a Ram, recorded the only home runs of the day.
  • Redshirt freshman Will Hindle (game one) and freshman Scott Penney (game two) also made their first collegiate starts.
  • Penney recorded his first career hit via single. 
  • Graduate student DJ Perron was 3-for-9 in his Rhode Island debut and scored two runs. He and junior Anthony DePino (2-for-8) accounted for URI's two doubles.
  • Sophomore Connor Grotyohann earned his first weekend start, having gotten the nod in two midweek games last year. He struck out a career-high six batters through 5.0 innings, his longest collegiate outing. 
  • Graduate student Zach Fernandez did not allow any hits in the two innings of relief that he pitched in game one. 
  • Graduate student Tommy Hughes fanned three Vaqueros in his two-inning stint in relief. He, Fernandez and freshman Ethan Mahan (0.2 IP) were the only Rams that avoided giving up a run. 


What's Next
The teams will cap off the series with a 7:30 p.m. meeting on Monday, Feb. 19. The game will be streamed on ESPN+.

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