Spring Break
Late game heroics cause problems for men's baseball
Kyle Towne
Issue date: 4/3/09 Section: Sports
04/03/09 - The University of Rhode Island baseball team was unable to pull off any victories in three close games this week, losing to Central Connecticut State University 10-9 as well as losing to and tying Brown University in a doubleheader, 7-6 and 7-7.
On Tuesday, the CCSU Blue Devils rallied from behind on two occasions to beat the Rams 10-9.
"There were plays down the stretch that hurt us," junior Oliver Palmer said. "We needed a big play and couldn't get it."
Sophomore Pete Mastors led off the game with a single up the middle in the top of the first. He advanced to second on a throwing error and to third on a sacrifice bunt. A one-out single by senior Dan Rhault allowed Mastors to cross the plate to give the Rams a 1-0 lead early on.
Sophomore starter Ken Graveline had a smooth first inning, striking out two as he sat down the first three hitters in order. Both teams got a base runner on in the second inning but were unable to produce any runs.
Over the next three innings the Rams pushed across four more runs, giving them a 5-0 lead.
"We got the bats going early," Palmer said. "It's always good to score a lot of runs early."
In the bottom of the fifth, the Blue Devils' offense came to life. A pair of singles and a fielder's choice set up a sac fly, followed by a two-run homer to bring the score to 5-3.
CCSU continued scoring in the bottom of the sixth, scoring two more runs on four consecutive two-out singles to tie the game up at five apiece.
"We didn't pitch or play defense well," Palmer said. "And that's what you need to win games."
The Rams took the game back over with a four-run seventh inning that included a two-run double by junior outfielder Zoey Angulo.
The Blue Devils rallied once again in the bottom of the eighth inning, scoring three times on a two-run triple and a sac fly. The Rams were unable to produce any insurance runs in the top of the ninth, heading into the inning with a one-run lead.
On Tuesday, the CCSU Blue Devils rallied from behind on two occasions to beat the Rams 10-9.
"There were plays down the stretch that hurt us," junior Oliver Palmer said. "We needed a big play and couldn't get it."
Sophomore Pete Mastors led off the game with a single up the middle in the top of the first. He advanced to second on a throwing error and to third on a sacrifice bunt. A one-out single by senior Dan Rhault allowed Mastors to cross the plate to give the Rams a 1-0 lead early on.
Sophomore starter Ken Graveline had a smooth first inning, striking out two as he sat down the first three hitters in order. Both teams got a base runner on in the second inning but were unable to produce any runs.
Over the next three innings the Rams pushed across four more runs, giving them a 5-0 lead.
"We got the bats going early," Palmer said. "It's always good to score a lot of runs early."
In the bottom of the fifth, the Blue Devils' offense came to life. A pair of singles and a fielder's choice set up a sac fly, followed by a two-run homer to bring the score to 5-3.
CCSU continued scoring in the bottom of the sixth, scoring two more runs on four consecutive two-out singles to tie the game up at five apiece.
"We didn't pitch or play defense well," Palmer said. "And that's what you need to win games."
The Rams took the game back over with a four-run seventh inning that included a two-run double by junior outfielder Zoey Angulo.
The Blue Devils rallied once again in the bottom of the eighth inning, scoring three times on a two-run triple and a sac fly. The Rams were unable to produce any insurance runs in the top of the ninth, heading into the inning with a one-run lead.
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