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University of Rhode Island

031425 sabbath recap
Connor Caldon
5
Winner Rhode Island URI 9-8, 1-0 A-10
4
VCU VCU 4-13, 0-1 A-10
Winner
Rhode Island URI
9-8, 1-0 A-10
5
Final
4
VCU VCU
4-13, 0-1 A-10
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
Rhode Island URI 0 0 2 3 0 0 0 0 0 5 9 2
VCU VCU 0 0 3 0 0 1 0 0 0 4 8 2

W: Jeremy Urena (3-0) L: Hoeymans, Jack (1-1) S: Sabbath, Joe (3)

Game Recap: Baseball |

Rams Edge VCU in Conference Opener, 5-4

Rhode Island Starters 
DePino (3B), Genther (RF), Moroney (SS), Perron (LF), Hopko (DH), Thompson (1B), Penney (2B), Toro (C), Medina (CF), Urena (P)

VCU Starters
Flores (2B), Swenson (1B), Lee (C), Werchan (CF), Henson (DH), Richey (3B), Sullivan (LF), Kleinman (SS), Adelman (RF), Hoeymans (P) 

How it Happened
Rhode Island Baseball held on for a 5-4 victory at VCU on Friday night in the teams' Atlantic 10 league opener.

Rhody (9-8, 1-0 A-10) was nearly overtaken in the bottom of the ninth when a pair of walks put the go-ahead run on base for the host Rams, but Joe Sabbath pitched his way out of the jam to secure his third save of the season.

Most of the scoring action was in the middle of the game, with Rhode Island first to get on the board. A pair two-out homers from Anthony DePino and Eric Genther in back-to-back plate appearances put URI ahead 2-0 in the top of the third, though VCU (4-13, 0-1 A-10) answered right away with a sac fly and a two-run shot that lifted the team to a one-run edge. 

In the following frame, Nicholas Toro lifted his Rams to a lead once again when he delivered a two-run single before DePino drove in another runner with a base hit of his own (5-3).

While VCU added to its total in the sixth with another sac fly that lowered the deficit to one, a combination of Zach Morris, Connor Johnston and Sabbath held the opposing Rams scoreless down the stretch.

Inside the Box Score
  • Rhode Island has not started Atlantic 10 play 1-0 since the 2019 season, when the team did so in a game at George Washington.
  • Junior Jeremy Urena picked up the win after his 5.0-inning start. He allowed six hits and two earned runs while striking out three batters. Though he did not walk anybody, he plunked one opposing Ram.
  • Senior Anthony DePino had a game-high three hits (3-for-5). He belted one ball out of the yard, finishing the night with two RBI and one run scored while extending his hitting streak to eight games.
  • Senior Eric Genther (2-for-4) and junior Jack Hopko (2-for-4) also had multi-hit games. 
  • Junior Nicholas Toro tallied two RBI in a 1-for-4 performance at the plate.  
  • Sophomore Reece Moroney was 1-for-5, extending his streak of reaching base safely to 17 games. 
  • Sophomore Zach Morris was charged with one run in 2.0 innings of relief. He let up two hits while issuing three walks.
  • Junior Connor Johnston retired all three batters he faced in the eighth. 
  • A year ago, Rhody's saves leader was Tommy Hughes with five. Sophomore Joe Sabbath is already up to three in seven appearances. 
  • Rhode Island had a 9-8 advantage in hits.
  • The teams combined for four total errors. 
Up Next
The teams will finish out the series with a 1 p.m. doubleheader on Saturday, March 15. 
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