Baseball
Offensive Barrage, Dominant Relief Leads Rams Past St. Joes, 16-8
April 24, 2009
NORRISTOWN, Pa. - The Rhode Island baseball team strung together a season-high 21 hits as the Rams downed Saint Joseph's, 16-8, Friday afternoon at Latshaw-McCarthy Field. Each of Rhody's starters recorded at least one hit while junior Dan Rossignol (Nashua, N.H.) and freshman Sam VandenHeuvel (Chandler, Ariz.) combined for six scoreless innings of relief.
Rossignol came on in the bottom of the fourth and held the Hawks hitless over four innings to earn his second win of the season. VandenHeuvel went on to allow just one hit over the final two innings.
Offensively, URI was paced by sophomore Tom Coulombe (Lincoln, R.I.) and junior Zoey Angulo (Miami, Fla.) who finished with four hits apiece. Coulombe also added four runs while Angulo crossed the plate three times.
Senior Dan Rhault (Lincoln, R.I.), junior Rob DeVeney (Marlton, N.J.) and sophomore Kenny Burns (Shelton, Conn.) all homered for the Rams. Rhault and DeVeney ended the day with four RBI each while Burns added two and scored three times.
With the win, the first-place Rams improve to 27-13-1 (13-2) on the season while St. Joes falls to 14-20-1 (7-8). URI has now won 10 of its last 11 games and nine-consecutive Atlantic 10 contests dating back to April 4th.
Rhode Island took a 2-0 lead in the top of the first as DeVeney sent a two-run double to left, scoring Angulo and junior Oliver Palmer (North Kingstown, R.I.).
The Hawks, however, plated three runs in the bottom of the frame and added five more over the next two innings to lead 8-4 heading into the fourth.
There, Rhody exploded for seven runs - all of which came with two outs. Rhault got things started with a three-run bomb to left field and Coulombe kept things rolling with a bunt-single. DeVeney then blasted a shot over the left field fence to put URI up 9-8.
The Rams weren't done just yet though as sophomore Jeff Cammans (Narragansett, R.I.) singled to short and advanced to second on a single through the left side by freshman Mike LeBel (Quincy, Mass.). Freshman Milan Adams (Exeter, R.I.) followed with a single to center than scored Cammans before Burns plated LeBel on a single back to the mound.
Rhode Island added three more in the top of the fifth as Rhault doubled to left centerfield to send Angulo across the plate before scoring Rhody's 13th run on a single up the middle by Coulombe. With bases loaded and one away, Coulombe eventually made it a 14-8 game when he was walked in by SJU reliever Ben Wendle.
Burns then led off the top of the sixth with a home run to left field to give URI a 15-8 edge.
Saint Joseph's best scoring opportunity came in the bottom of the inning when the Hawks used a URI fielding error, a base on balls and a hit batter to load the bases with no outs. However, SJU first baseman Ryan McDonald then lined into a rare 4-6-3 triple play to end the inning without any further damage.
Rhody got its final run of the game in the top of the seventh when Coulombe scored on a sac-fly by DeVeney.
The Rams and Hawks return to action for Game Two of the three-game series, tomorrow at 1 p.m.
