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Baseball
Baseball Drop 9-6 Decision In First Game Of Doubleheader At New Mexico State
Feb. 28, 2004 LAS CRUCES, N.M. - The University of Rhode Island baseball team lost 9-6 to New Mexico State Saturday afternoon at Presley Askew Field. The Aggies are now 9-3 on the year as they took the first three games of a four game series against the Rams (0-5). Senior Dan Batz went 3-for-4 with three runs scored and one RBI and Matt Sullivan went 3-for-5 with two RBIs and a run scored. Xardiel Cotto led the Aggies in game one as he finished 2-for-4 from the plate with two runs scored, one rbi, a triple and a stolen base. Billy Becher also had a strong performance as he finished 1-for-4 with three rbi and his seventh home run of the year. The Rams struck first in game one when Dan Batz doubled to left center and was pushed across the plate on a single by Matt Sullivan to take the first lead of the game at 1-0. The Aggies put runners on the corners in their half of the inning as Chris Ewen was walked and advanced to third on a base hit by Cotto. Becher then drove in the Aggies' first run on a fielder's choice to the first baseman and the game was tied at one apiece at the end of the first. In the second inning, Rhode Island led off with a single to center by Tom Venedam and Scott Brown reached first on a fielder's choice. Brown was later thrown out trying to steal second and the game remained tied heading into the bottom of the second.
The Aggies went quietly in the second and the Rams again put two runners on base with no outs in the second on two straight errors from shortstop Gavin Monjaras. With runners in scoring position, Aggie pitcher Rory Coppinger managed to pitch out of a jam and held the Rams scoreless in the third.
The Aggies put runners on first and second with no outs in the fourth inning after back-to-back walks to Cotto and Becher, and Adrian Ballesteros flew out at the center field wall to score Cotto and the Aggies now led 2-1. Another walk issued to Patrick Fields put runners on first and second for a second time in the inning but the Aggies couldn't manage any more runs and held a 2-1 advantage heading into the fifth. Coppinger led off the fifth by hitting the first batter of the inning but kept up a strong pitching performance and held the Rams scoreless again for the fourth straight inning. NMSU then put another runner on in the bottom of the fifth on a walk but ended the inning on a ground out to the first baseman. Despite leading the Rams 2-1, the Aggies were being out hit 3-1 through five innings. The sixth inning started with back-to-back base hits by the Rams and runners were on the corners as Mike Rainville hit a triple to right field to score two runs. Rhode Island then took a one-run lead over the Aggies as Coppinger again pitched out of a jam and the Rams led 3-2 after five and a half. The Aggies then got their second hit of the game in the sixth when Fields smacked a double to right field that pushed Ballesteros to third who, had been walked earlier in the inning. A sacrifice fly by Emory Davies scored Ballesteros and the Aggies tied the game up at three heading in to the seventh inning. The Rams regained the lead in the top of the seventh as Joe Viscuso singled to right and was driven home by a double to center by Batz. Viscuso then scored on another double to center by Matt Sullivan but relief pitcher J.T. Severe came in and held the Rams as the Aggies now trailed 5-3. In the seventh inning Ewen drew a walk and was knocked home on a triple by Cotto to cut the lead down to 5-4, and Becher then smashed a 3-2 pitch over the center field wall to give the Aggies a 6-5 lead late in the game. The Rams managed to put two runners on in the eighth on an Aggie error and a Severe walk, and both runners advanced on a double steal before Rhode Island loaded the bases on an intentional walk to Batz. Severe then ended the inning on a strikeout and a fly-out to right field as the Aggies held on to the 6-5 lead in the middle of the eighth. The Aggies added another run in the bottom of the eighth as Davies singled to right center to score Mark Aranda who had been walked to start the inning and a sac bunt by Monjaras pushed Davies to second with one out. Mark Keller then smashed a line drive home run over the left field wall to score Davies and the Aggies led 9-5 heading into the ninth. Rhode Island cut the lead to three when Adam Houston hit a solo home run over the right field wall but that is all the Rams could manage as the Aggies hung on for the 9-6 win. Severe (1-0) earned the win for the Aggies hurling two and one third innings, giving up one run on one hit and striking out two. Zach Zuercher (0-1) took the loss for the Rams as he gave up six runs on four hits in six and two thirds innings, while striking out seven. The Aggies will finish the four game series with the Rams as they take the field at 4:00 p.m. today at Presley Askew Field. |
 HEAD COACH: JIM FOSTER
ASST. COACH: STEVE BREITBACH
ASST. COACH: ERIC CIRELLA
ASST. COACH: IDRIS LIASU
DIR. OF BASEBALL OPS.: MATT FINLAYSON
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