Baseball
Frederick Pitches Shutout As First-Place Baseball Blanks St. Bonaventure
April 13, 2003
KINGSTON, R.I. - Sophomore Dan Frederick (Dracut, Mass.) pitched a complete game three-hit shutout as the Rhode Island baseball team blanked St. Bonaventure 5-0 Saturday to split a doubleheader with the Bonnies at Bill Beck Field.
St. Bonaventure overcame a 5-0 deficit in the first game to top the Rams 11-6 and steal first place in the Atlantic 10 East, if only for a few hours.
The Rams once again jumped out to a 5-0 lead in the second game, but this time they held it and improved to 13-17 on the season and 7-4 in the Atlantic 10. Rhode Island is in first place in the Atlantic 10 East Division, ahead of St. Bonaventure (12-9, 4-3 Atlantic 10). The two teams play the third game of their series Monday at 10:30 a.m. at Bill Beck Field.
Frederick pitched the complete seven innings, giving up only three hits, striking out nine and walking two as he improved to 4-2 on the season.
The Rams offense was led by freshman center fielder DJ Burns (Lynn, Mass.), who went 2-for-3 with two runs scored. Freshman Wayne Russo (Warwick, R.I.) had a hit and drove in a run, while junior Dan Batz (Mohnton, Pa.) had a hit, RBI and run scored.
Senior Justin Lamboy (Warwick, R.I.) and freshman Josh Nestor (Nashua, N.H.) each had a hit and scored a run. Sophomore Dan Hayden (Garnerville, N.Y.) had a RBI triple.
The Rams got on the board in the first inning when Burns singled to right field, advanced to second on a groundout by Russo, moved to third on a wild pitch and scored on a RBI ground-out by Batz.
Rhode Island made it 2-0 in the second inning when Lamboy singled and scored Hayden's RBI triple.
Batz ledoff the fourth inning with a triple to right and sophomore Matt Sullivan (Nashua, N.H.) drove him in with a RBI-groundout.
The Rams had a runner on first with two outs, when they were able to post two more runs. Nestor had reached on a one out single and Burns singled with two outs. Burns stole second and then Russo hit an infield single that drove in Nestor. Batz then drilled a ground ball to third that was misplayed, allowing Burns to score and give the Rams a 5-0 lead.
Frederick only trouble came in the bottom of the seventh, when the Bonnies loaded the bases, but the sophomore was able to get out of the inning with the shutout intact.
