Rhode Island Starters (37-20)
DePino (3B), Genther (RF), Moroney (SS), Hopko (DH), Perron (1B), Notarangelo (LF), Penney (2B), Butler (C), McKenzie (CF), Urena (P)

Saint Louis Starters (33-25)
Moore (CF), Iffrig (1B), Stressler (RF), McGwire (DH), Gomric (LF), Beattie (3B), Sitzman (2B), Sanchez (C), Neuweg (SS), Holman (P)

How it Happened
Top-seeded Rhode Island used four home runs to power its way past No. 3 Saint Louis 8-2 Friday, putting the Rams one win away from clinching the 2025 Atlantic 10 Championship.

Pitchers Jeremy Urena, Parker Aikens and Joe Sabbath combined to stymie the Billikens. Urena allowed just two runs over 6.1 strong innings, while Aikens (3-2) earned the victory with 1.1 scoreless innings of work. Sabbath added a scoreless ninth.

In the top of the second, Saint Louis centerfielder Hayden Moore robbed DJ Perron of a solo home run with a leaping catch at the wall.  Two innings later, Perron got justice when he skied a two-run, opposite field homer for the first runs of the game.

Saint Louis broke through in the bottom of the fifth. Ethan Sitzman led off with a double down the third base line. Kamaehu Sanchez followed with his double to the corner in left, bringing Sitzman around to cut the lead in half. Austin Neuweg followed with a single through the left side to put runners on the corners. Hayden Moore singled for the fourth straight hit to open the frame, driving in Sanchez to tie the score. Rhody starter Jeremy Urena settled down and retired the next three batters to prevent further damage.

Rhode Island retook the lead in the top of the eighth. After Perron reached on a one-out single, Nic Notarangelo pulled a line drive homer to right field. The shot gave URI a 4-2 lead it never relinquished.

Eric Genther and Reece Moroney hit back-to-back homers in the top of the ninth to break the game open. After a leadoff walk to Brody McKenzie, Genther lofted a one-out homer the opposite way to left field. Moroney followed with a solo shot to right field, providing URI with a 7-2 lead. A sacrifice fly by Scott Penney later in the inning provided one more insurance run to cap the four-run rally.

Closer Joe Sabbath took care of the ninth inning in a non-save situation. After issuing a leadoff walk, he struck out the next three batters to emphatically slam the door shut.

Saint Louis will play No. 2 George Mason in an elimination game Friday night. The winner of that game will be Rhode Island's opponent Saturday.

Inside the Box Score

• With its 37th win, Rhode Island tied the single-season program record, matching the victory total of the 2009 squad that was 37-20-1.
• DJ Perron had a two-run home run, one single and two runs scored.
• Nic Notaragelo homered, singled, walked twice and drove in two runs.
• Jack Hopko singled, walked and scored two runs.
• Anthony DePino doubled, singled twice and walked.
• DePino is 6-for-8 with a grand slam, double, four runs batted in and one run scored at the Atlantic 10 Championship thus far.
• Eric Genther hit a two-run homer to extend his hitting streak to five games. He has hit safely in 13 of his last 14 games.
• Reece Moroney had a solo home run and a single.
• Brody McKenzie walked twice, stole one base and scored once.
• Starting pitcher Jeremy Urena provided a strong outing for the Rams, allowing just two runs over 6.2 innings of work. Urena struck out three batters.
• Parker Aikens and Joe Sabbath both made their 26th appearance of the season. Both are among four players tied for the second most appearances in a single season, trailing only Blaise Whitman's 27 appearances in 2017.
• Rhode Island's batting order drew six walks and struck out just once.

Up Next
On Saturday at 12 p.m., Rhode Island will play the winner of an elimination game between No. 2 George Mason and No. 3 Saint Louis, which will be played Friday at 7 p.m. The game will stream on ESPN+. The Rams will need one win to clinch the Atlantic 10 Championship. Whichever team URI faces would need to beat Rhody twice.