How It Happened
Rhode Island and Massachusetts battled to a draw in a key Atlantic 10 doubleheader between two teams battling for the final spot in the conference postseason. The Rams (13-33, 8-12 A-10) pulled off a thrilling rally to win the opening game in walk-off fashion, 3-2. Visiting UMass (13-31, 9-11 A-10) was able to recover for a 5-2 win in the second game, salvaging a split of the games.
Game 1 – Rhode Island 3, Massachusetts 2
Sydney Yoder's two-out single to the gap in left center drove in pinch runner
Mandi Hanewich to cap off an improbable Rrally and give Rhody a walk-off win.
UMass starter Julianne Bolton (6-14) carried a no-hitter into the seventh inning. The only runner she allowed in the first six innings was a walk to
Cassie Swenson in the first inning. After that walk, Bolton retired 17 straight batters.
However, with Rhody down 2-0 to start the seventh, Swenson reached on an infield single.
Elena Gonzalez followed with a sharp single up the middle. Reigning A-10 Player of the Week
Kylie Bulinski lined a double into the corner in right, allowing pinch runner
Leilyn Alvarez to score from second and Gonzalez to come all the way around from first, tying the game.
The next two batters were retired, but Yoder made sure the Rams got the win. She lined a 1-0 pitch to left center, allowing Hanewich to scored easily from second.
Game 2 – Massachusetts 5, Rhode Island 2
In the second game, UMass took advantage of free passes and defensive miscues. Three of the five Minutewomen who scored reached via either walk or hit batter, and a fourth reached when no outs were recorded on a sacrifice bunt.
In the top of the third, Chloe Whittier was hit by a pitch to start the frame, one of three times she was hit in the game. Bella Bantoha followed with a sacrifice bunt, but both runners were safe when Whittier beat the throw to second base. A Lydia Castro single loaded the bases before Whittier scored on a Sarah Keagy sacrifice fly. Grace Cadden followed with a single to drive in Bantoha.
An inning later, Jordyn Graime walked to open the third. Payge Suggs followed with a chopper to pitcher
Ashley Hibbard, but her throw to second was off the mark and Graime advanced safely. With one out, Pantoja lined a double to right that brough Graime in for a 3-0 lead. A well-executed relay from
Skyler Rapuano to
Becca Zawistowski to
Kylie Bulinski nabbed Suggs at the plate and helped limit the damage.
Rhody took advantage of a pair of UMass errors that gave the Rams a first-and-second situation.
Becca Zawistowski made sure URI capitalized when she lined a double to left field that brought
Mandi Hanewich and
Emily Power in to make it a 3-2 game.
Massachusetts pushed the lead back to three runs in the sixth. Suggs reached on an infield single, and Whittier was hit by a pitch. A Bantoha single loaded the bases before Castro lofted a sacrifice fly to plate Suggs. Whittier later scored on a wild pitch.
Rhody started the sixth with singles from Power and
Sydney Yoder to bring the potential tying run to the plate. However, a groundout, a fielder's choice and a strikeout ended the potential threat. URI went down in order in the seventh to end the game.
Inside the Box Scores
- Graduate student Liz Lynchard earned the victory in the first game with 2.0 scoreless innings of relief. It was the 20th win of her career, making her the 16th pitcher in program history to reach the milestone.
- Sophomore Kylie Bulinski was 3-for-7 with two runs batted in on the day. She now has a five-game hitting streak and has reached safely in 11 straight overall.
- In her breakout season, Bulinski leads the team with her .302 batting average and her .395 on-base percentage.
- Graduate student Cassie Swenson reached safely twice in each game. She singled and walked in the opener, then had a double and single in the second game.
- Sophomore Mandi Hanewich appeared as a pinch runner and scored in both games.
- Graduate student Sydney Yoder singled in each game and had one run batted in.
- Sophomore Becca Zawistowski doubled, drove in two runs and recorded 16 putouts with one assist at first base.
What's Next
Rhode Island will travel to Dayton for a three-game series that begins with a doubleheader on Saturday, April 27 at 12 p.m. Saturday's doubleheader is scheduled to stream on ESPN+.
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