April 21, 2010

April 21, 2010

Box Score

STORRS, Conn. - Junior Kyle Borden recorded three hits - including a third inning grand slam - but it wasn't enough as the Rhode Island baseball team fell to 19th-ranked Connecticut, 14-9, on Wednesday afternoon at J.O. Christian Field.

The loss drops Rhody to 18-17 on the year while UConn improves to 29-7 and extends its winning streak to 17 games.

Trailing 9-0 in the top of the third, sophomore Milan Adams drew a lead off walk before advancing to second when junior Kenny Burns was hit by a pitch. Sophomore Mike LeBel then reached on a fielding error by UConn shortstop Nick Ahmed to load the bases for Borden who homered to left center for his first career grand slam.

The Rams added another run in the top of the fourth when senior Rob DeVeney sent a solo shot over the fence in left centerfield to make it a 9-5 game.

Junior reliever Brian Bodjiak - who came on with two away in the bottom of the second - gave up just two hits over 3.1 scoreless innings but the Huskies went on to plate four runs in the sixth inning before tacking on another in the seventh to lead 14-5.

Senior Luis Chacon, senior Zoey Angulo and Borden all singled in the top of the ninth before junior Tom Coulombe was walked to send Chacon across the plate. Angulo then scored on a sac fly by junior Evan Laude and a dropped fly ball by Ahmed allowed Borden and Coulombe to score to make it 14-9. That was as close as the Rams would get though as UConn hung on for the win.

Freshman Mike Bradstreet took the loss, giving up eight earned runs on 11 hits over the opening 1.2 innings. UConn's Robert Van Woert earned the win.

Rhode Island is back in action this weekend when it hosts Xavier in a three-game Atlantic 10 set at Bill Beck Field. The series will be a rematch of last year's A-10 Championship where the Musketeers took two games from the Rams to claim the league title. URI and XU - who are in a five-way tie for fourth place in the A-10 - will face off at 3 p.m. on Friday, 1 p.m. on Saturday and again at Noon on Sunday.