Baseball
Three-Run Ninth Leads First-Place Baseball Over Fairfield, 7-6
April 16, 2003
KINGSTON, R.I. - Sophomore Matt Sullivan (Nashua, N.H.) had the game winning hit as the Rhode Island baseball team scored three runs with two outs in the top of the ninth inning to overtake Fairfield 7-6 Wednesday.
Sullivan finished the game 3-for-5 with four RBIs, knocking three of those runs in on a single in the fifth inning.
With the Rams trailing 6-4 in the ninth, sophomore Joe Viscuso (Farmingdale, N.Y.) led-off with a walk and stole second, but the next two batters were retired, bringing the Rams down to their final out. Fairfield couldn't get that final out until the Rhode Island put together four straight singles and three runs to take a 7-6 lead.
Junior Matt Preston (Dover, N.H.) retired the Stags in the ninth to earn the win. He pitched 4 1/3 innings of shutout relief, allowing only one hit and walking one batter.
With two outs in ninth, freshman DJ Burns (Lynn, Mass.) singled to left field to plate Viscuso and junior Jared Trout (Gilbertsville, Pa.) followed with a pinch-hit single to move Burns to second.
Junior Dan Batz (Mohnton, Pa.) singled in Burns with the tying run and moved the go-ahead run into scoring position at second. That's when Sullivan came through with the Rams fourth-straight hit to score Trout and put the Rams up 7-6.
Batz, who was 15th in the country in batting average entering this week, went 2-for-4 with a run scored and RBI. Burns also went 2-for-4 with a run scored and RBI. Sophomore Mike Rainville (Pawtucket, R.I.) went 2-for-4 with a run scored.
Junior Jad Prachniak (Lincoln, R.I.) went 4 2/3 innings as the Rams' starting pitcher, giving up six hits and six runs, four of which were earned.
The Rams, who improve to 15-17 overall and sit in first place of the Atlantic 10 East Division with an 8-4 record, return home Thursday for a non-conference game with Hartford at 3:00 p.m. at Bill Beck Field.
