How It Happened
Rhode Island rebounded from a Game One loss to throttle Tarleton State in the nightcap to earn a split of two games Friday night. After the host Texans (19-13) won the opener 11-1 in five innings, Rhody (5-9) returned the favor by winning Game Two 13-1, also in five innings. A 15-hit attack and a dominant outing by pitcher
Avery Vale-Cruz paved the way for the victory.
Game 1 Starters
Rhode Island
Snyder (RF); Orndorff (LF); Bulinski (C); Knarr (1B); Torres (SS); Hernandez (CF); Fairbanks (DP); Ialongo (3B); Miller (2B); Hibbard (P)
Tarleton State
Fox (C); Debose (CF); C. Schultz (RF); Duke (LF); Bojkovic (1B); Poore (DP); Runyan (SS); Pannill (3B); Wittram (2B); S. Schultz (P)
Game 1 - Tarleton State 2, Rhode Island 1
A classic pitcher's duel went in the host Texans' favor as Tarleton State edged Rhody in the opener.
For the second time in as many days, Shelby Schultz (7-3) was outstanding in the circle for the Texans. She limited the Rams to four hits and one run. That was just enough for the home team to edge the URI duo of
Ashley Hibbard and
Brooke Gerry (0-5). Hibbard allowed just one unearned run over 3.2 innings of work, while Gerry gave up one run on one hit in 2.1 innings.
In the bottom of the third, Mariah DeBose reached on an error to lead off the frame. She stole second and scored when Isabella Bojkovic singled to center.
Rhody evened things up in the top of the fifth when
Hannah Hernandez walked and was moved up by a sacrifice bunt from
Brooke Fairbanks. With two down,
Natalie Maleitzke came through with a pinch-hit, game-tying double that brought Hernandez in.
However, DeBose had a run-scoring single that drove in Mikayla Gilliland with the go-ahead run an inning later. Rhody got the potential tying run on base when Fairbanks singled with two down, but a strikeout ended the game.
Game 2 Starters
Rhode Island
Hernandez (CF); Orndorff (RF); Bulinski (DP); Zawistowski (1B); Maleitzke (C); Fairbanks (LF); Torres (SS); Frickleton (3B); Miller (2B); Vale-Cruz (P)
Tarleton State
Fox (C); Debose (CF); C. Schultz (DP); Duke (LF); Runyan (SS); Wilson (RF); Bojkovic (1B); Pannill (3B); Wittram (2B); Dowell (P)
Game 2 - Tarleton State 11, Rhode Island 3 (6 inn.)
What was shaping up as a dramatic finish turned into a rout as the Texans scored eight unanswered runs over the fifth and sixth innings to bring things to an early end.
With her team trailing 3-1 in the top of the fifth,
Kylie Bulinski stepped to the plate with runners on first and second. She pulled a double into the gap in right center, allowing
Rayah Snyder and
Meg McNally to score and knot the game at 3-3.
The momentum was short lived. Three hits and an error led to three unearned runs in the bottom half of the fifth to give Tarleton State a 6-3 lead. Five more runs on five hits - including a two-run double by Isabella Bojkovic - helped the Texans invoke the eight-run mercy rule.
Inside the Box Scores
- Kylie Bulinski continued her torrid hitting streak, delivering a double, two singles, one walk and two RBI on the day.
- She batted .778 (7-for-9) with two home runs, one double, three runs scored and seven RBI in the weekend series.
- Becca Zawistowski hit her first home run of the season - a solo shot - in the second game.
- Brooke Fairbanks doubled, singled twice and had a sacrifice fly on the day.
- The freshman is batting a team-best .500 (13-for-26) on the season.
- Natalie Maleitzke's pinch-hit RBI double in the first game was her fifth RBI in a three-game span.
- After starting the season 0-for-11, Maleitzke is one of the team's hottest bats, going 5-for-10 with two doubles, one home run and five RBI in her last five games.
Up Next
Rhode Island plays at the URI Softball Complex for the first time this season when it hosts in-state rival Brown on Wednesday, March 25 for a doubleheader that begins at 2 p.m.
