Rhody Baseball Edged by No. 4 Cal State Fullerton, 4-3

March 15, 2009

Box Score

Fullerton's Noe Ramirez - who gave up all three Rhody runs on four hits with eight strikeouts - picked up the win while URI senior Luke Demko (Gilford, N.H.) tossed the final 2.1 innings and got the loss. Junior starter Eric Smith (Milford, Conn.) lasted six and two thirds innings with nine hits, three strikeouts and zero walks.

Fullerton wasted little time getting on the board as third baseman Gary Brown led off with a triple to left center in the top of the first and then scored on a passed ball.

Rhody, however, came back and took a 3-1 lead in the bottom of the inning. Leadoff batter Zoey Angulo (Miami, Fla.) got things started when he reached on a throwing error by Brown and then advanced to third on a double to left by junior Oliver Palmer (North Kingstown, R.I.). DeVeney then plated both Angulo and Palmer with a single up the middle before advancing to second when sophomore Jeff Cammans (Jamestown, R.I.) was hit by a pitch. Freshman Mike LeBel (Quincy, Mass.) followed with a two-out RBI single that scored DeVeney before Cammans was tagged out at the plate on a 7-2-4-3-2 play.

The Rams held onto the two-run advantage until the top of the seventh when pinch hitter Tyler Pill sent a two-run double down the right field line to even things at 3-3. Fullerton went on to plate the go-ahead run the following inning.

Rhode Island's best scoring opportunity came in the bottom of the ninth when DeVeney led off with an infield single and advanced to second on an error. LeBel and freshman Milan Adams (Exeter, R.I.) then drew back-to-back walks to load the bases with two outs but freshman Dan Haverstick (Marlton, N.J.) grounded out to second to end the game.

Rhody now faces Oklahoma State in the final game of this afternoon's doubleheader.