Baseball
Perkins Sets Rhode Island Career Wins Record as Baseball Edges Saint Joseph's, 10-8
May 19, 2007
NORRISTOWN, Pa. - Redshirt senior Adam Perkins (Hudson, N.H.) recorded his 23rd career victory to set a new Rhode Island baseball record and lead the Rams to a 10-8 win over Saint Joseph's on Saturday afternoon at Latshaw-McCarthy Field in Norristown, Pa. Offensively, the Rams were led by senior Scott Brown (Portland, Maine), who went 2-for-5 with a homerun and four RBI.
Senior Dave Savard (Nashua, N.H.) crossed the plate on Brown's first-inning single through the right side but the Rams found themselves trailing, 4-1, heading into the fourth. There, junior Mike O'Malley (Nashua, N.H.) cut the Hawks' lead in half when he led off with a double to right center, advanced to third on junior Shaun Hagey's (Ephrata, Pa.) bunt-single to first and scored on a fielder's choice ball by Savard.
Saint Joe's got a run back in the bottom of the inning before Brown evened the score at 5-5 with a three-run sixth-inning shot over the right field fence. O'Malley and Hagey, who opened the inning with back-to-back walks, also scored on the play.
Hawk reliever Andrew Powers took the mound for starter Jeff Williams in the top of the seventh and got senior Gregg Allen (Dighton, Mass.) to ground out before hitting senior Ryan Cunningham (Centreville, Va.) with a pitch. Junior Zach Zaneski (Waterford, Conn.) then singled up the middle to move Cunningham to third before O'Malley gave URI its first lead of the game on an RBI single to right field. Hagey was walked to load the bases for sophomore Dan Rhault (Lincoln, R.I.), who put the Rams up by two when he reached first on a base on balls. O'Malley then gave Rhody an 8-5 advantage when he crossed the plate on a passed ball.
With one out and runners on second and third, Mark Imbo was sent to the mound to replace Powers. Savard then sent a sac-fly to right to score Hagey and move Rhault to third before Rhault made the score 10-5 on a single to third by senior Eric Larson (Bradenton, Fla.).
Saint Joseph's plated three in the bottom of the ninth, but the comeback attempt fell short as URI held on for the 10-8 win.
Perkins picked up the win, throwing 6.1 innings and allowing five runs (three earned) with three strikeouts. Redshirt junior Matt Miranda (Suffern, N.Y.) gave up four hits and three runs with three Ks in two-and-a-third innings of relief while freshman Mark Fraser (Nashua, N.H.) closed the game with a strikeout to earn his first career save.
With the win, Rhode Island ends the regular season with an overall record of 22-28 and finishes fifth in the Atlantic 10 with a 16-11 league record. The Rams will be back in action at the Atlantic 10 Championship, beginning Wednesday, May 23, at Fifth Third Field in Dayton, Ohio.
Please log back on to www.GoRhody.com for official pairings, game times and additional championship information as it becomes available.
