How It Happened
Rhode Island (15-21) ran its winning streak to a season-best four games as it swept Sacred Heart 8-0 and 11-5 in a non-conference doubleheader Wednesday afternoon. It is the program's longest win streak since the Rams won six in a row during the 2023 season.

Game 1 Starters
Rhode Island
Hernandez (CF); Frickleton (3B); Bulinski (C); Fairbanks (DP); Snyder (RF); Zawistowski (1B); Orndorff (2B); Ialongo (SS); Hanewich (LF); Kuhnel (P)

Sacred Heart
Lecktrone (1B); Bender (2B); Stoops (3B); Davis (DP); Henke (SS); Barbera (RF); Freed (CF); Roe (C); Palmer (LF); Heath (P)

Game 1 - Rhode Island 8, Sacred Heart 0
Freshman Olivia Kuhnel (2-0) delivered a complete-game shutout and the Rams used a steady attack to win via the mercy rule in five innings

Rhode Island drew nine walks over the first three innings, and five of those batters came around to score. URI scored twice in the first inning and three times each in the second and third to establish early control. In the top of the first, Brooke Fairbanks had an RBI double to drive in Hannah Hernandez and Rayah Snyder brought Kylie Bulinski in with a sacrifice fly.

In the second inning, back-to-back bases loaded walks by Riley Frickleton and Kylie Bulinski forced runs in. Brooke Fairbanks drove in her second run of the game with a sacrifice fly that brought Hannah Hernandez in. Hernandez added a two-run single the following inning and later scored her third run of the game on a Kylie Bulinski single to set up the mercy rule.

Game 2 Starters
Rhode Island
McNally (CF); Frickleton (3B); Bulinski (DP); Fairbanks (LF); Snyder (RF); Orndorff (2B); Knarr (1B); Maleitzke (C); Ialongo (SS); Hibbard (P)

Sacred Heart
Lecktrone (1B); Bender (2B); Stoops (3B); Burras (C); Moore (DP); Barbera (RF); Bibbo (CF); Dwyer (SS); Brown (LF); Campion (P)

Game 2 - Rhode Island 11, Sacred Heart 4
Katie Knarr drove in four runs - three of which came on a long home run - to spark the Ram offense in the second game.

Rhode Island used four hits and three walks to piece together a five-run inning in the top of the third. Natalie Maleitzke got things started with a walk, and Meg McNally reached on a bunt single. Both runners advanced on a wild pitch before Riley Frickleton singled to score Maleitzke. A walk to Kylie Bulinski loaded the bases. With two outs, Rayah Snyder had a run-scoring single, which was followed by a two-run hit by Sydney Orndorff. Katie Knarr capped the rally with an infield single that brought Snyder in.

The Rams extended the lead to 7-0 in the fifth inning. Maleitzke drilled an RBI triple that drove Snyder in. McNally later had an infield single to bring Maleitzke home.

Sacred Heart rallied for four runs in the bottom of the fifth inning. With two outs and the bases loaded, Alexa Barbera had a two-run single. Back-to-back wild pitches allowed two more runs for the Pioneers, closing the gap to three runs.

In the top of the sixth, Kylie Bulinski was hit by a pitch. Pinch runner Hannah Hernandez scored on a single by Rayah Snyder. After a Sydney Orndorff walked, Katie Knarr sent a blast well over the left field fence for a three-run homer that pushed Rhody's lead back to seven runs at 11-4.

Sacred Heart (15-26) added a run in the sixth inning, but it did not threaten the final result.

Inside the Box Scores

• With two wins Wednesday, Rhode Island now has 15 on the year. That surpasses last year's win total (14-35) with 12 games to go in the regular season.
• Rhode Island's pitching staff hurled 18.0 consecutive scoreless innings from Game One Tuesday against New Haven through the second game against Sacred Heart.
• Olivia Kuhnel pitched her first career shutout to grab her second win of the season in the opener.
• Hannah Hernandez scored four runs on the day. In the opener, she was 2-for-2 with two walks, two RBI and three runs scored.
• She appeared as a pinch runner in the second game and eventually scored.
• Kylie Bulinski drew four more walks Wednesday and now has 30 for the season. She also had two singles and was hit by a pitch.
• She is the first player in program history to draw 30 or more walks in multiple seasons.
• Rayah Snyder has driven in six runs over her last three games.
• Rhode Island drew 16 walks in the two games.

Up Next
Rhode Island returns to Atlantic 10 action when it heads to Fordham for a three-game series that begins with a doubleheader at 12 p.m. on Saturday, April 18. All three games in the series are scheduled to stream on ESPN+.