Baseball
Baseball Uses Long Ball To Pound Hartford In Home Opener, 11-4
March 30, 2005
KINGSTON, R.I. - Sophomore Adam Perkins (Hudson, N.H.) allowed one run through six innings to earn the win and the University of Rhode Island baseball team belted four home runs in an 11-4 victory Wednesday over Hartford in the 2005 home opener at Bill Beck Field.
Senior Matt Sullivan (Nashua, N.H.) went 1-for-5, but that one hit tied him for the school record for longest hitting streak at 14 games. Former Rams Dan Batz (2004) and Mike Schiappa (2002) each had 14-game hitting streaks in their senior seasons.
Sophomore Ryan Cunningham (Centreville, Va.) hit a two-run homer for his team-leading fourth round-tripper of the season and added a triple and two runs scored. Senior Joe Viscuso (Farmingdale, N.Y.) and freshmen Zachary Zaneski (Waterford, Conn.) and CJ Simons (Peacedale, R.I.) each hit their first career home runs.
"It was a great way to get the home schedule started," Rhode Island head coach Frank Leoni said. "Our bats came alive a little bit today, it's nice to see everybody getting involved."
Perkins held Hartford to one run and four hits through six innings of work, before coming out with a 10-1 lead. He allowed a run in the first inning, when Hartford's lead-off hitter reached on an error and came around to score on a RBI-single, but after that Perkins held the Hawks to just three hits and struck out five in improving to 3-0 on the season.
"Adam did an excellent job today, he had command of his pitches and went out there and really competed," Leoni said. "He has been throwing very well for us this year and gave us a great outing in the middle of the week, which we need to keep winning games."
The Rams trailed 1-0 heading into the bottom of the second, but scored two runs to take the lead for good and would push 10 runs across the plate over the second, third and fourth innings on the way to their third-straight victory.
Cunningham led-off the second with a triple to right center and scored on a RBI-grounder by senior Mike Rainville (Pawtucket, R.I.). Junior Wayne Russo (Warwick, R.I.) walked, advanced to second on an error, reached third on a wild pitch and scored on a RBI-double for sophomore Dave Savard (Nashua, N.H.) to give the Rams a 2-1 lead.
Rhody (6-10) put up four runs in each of the next two innings, helped in part by a pair of lead-off homers. Zaneski opened the third with a homer to left center and junior Daryl Holcomb (Wilmington, Del.) followed with a double to right center. With one out, sophomore Scott Brown (Portland, Maine) laced a RBI-double to score Holcomb and then Cunningham cranked a two-run homer to left for a 6-1 lead.
Viscuso started the fourth with a solo shot, and Sullivan ripped a RBI double for an 8-1 advantage. The Rams took advantage of three wild pitches and two hit batsmen in the inning to score two more runs and hold a commanding 10-1 lead after four innings.
After Hartford got a run back in the top of the seventh, Simons homered in the bottom of the inning. Hartford scored two runs by way of the long ball in the top of the ninth to wrap-up the scoring.
Rhode Island returns to action Thursday when the play against Boston College at Northeastern University's Friedman Field in a make-up of Tuesday's originally scheduled contest.
