March 18, 2011

March 18, 2011

Box Score

MT. PLEASANT, S.C. - The Rhode Island baseball team cranked out a season-high 21 hits in an 18-3 rout of No. 19 Connecticut, Friday afternoon at the College of Charleston Cougar Invitational. Each of URI's starters reached base at least once with eight different players recording multiple-hit performances on the afternoon.

The win is URI's sixth victory over a ranked team under the direction of head coach Jim Foster. The game also marked the Rams' fourth-consecutive outing against a ranked opponent as Rhody traveled to Gainesville for a three-game set against the No. 1 Florida Gators last weekend.

Rhode Island (8-6) jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first inning and never looked back. The Huskies (7-8) got their only runs of the game in the bottom of the seventh - making it a 9-3 game - but that was as close as they would get as URI tacked on eight more in the eighth and another in the ninth for the 18-3 win.

Rhody was flawless in the field over the nine innings, marking the third time this season that URI does not commit an error. The Rams are 3-0 in these games.

Freshman Jeff Roy led the way offensively with four hits, four runs, three RBI and a pair of stolen bases while senior clean-up hitter Kyle Borden also reached four times - all on walks.

Redshirt junior Jeff Cammans and senior Tom Coulombe both finished with three hits and two runs. Coulombe also led the team with four RBI on a trio of doubles, tying the single-game school record for doubles. Only two other Rams - Dan Batz (2004) and Richard Carroll (1973) - have doubled three times in a game. Coulombe currently ranks fourth all-time at URI with 43 career two-baggers.

Redshirt sophomore Pat Fortunato and redshirt juniors Greg Annarummo and Dan Haverstick each drove in a pair of runs on two hits. Annarummo also scored three times, as did junior Mike LeBel who had two hits and a walk.

Redshirt junior pitcher Chris Pickering tossed 6.2 innings to pick up his third win of the season. Sophomore Mike Bradstreet closed out the game, allowing just two hits over the final 2.1 innings of play. UConn's Elliott Glynn was charged with the loss, giving up four runs on seven hits over 5.0 innings of work.

The Rams return to action on Saturday night when they take on Southern Miss at 5 p.m.