FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

April 2, 2008

RIC BASEBALL WINS SLUGFEST AT ANCHORMAN FIELD
Anchormen Outlast Roger Williams, 17-13

Providence, RI—The Rhode Island College baseball team downed Roger Williams, 17-13, in a non-conference matchup Wednesday afternoon at Anchorman Field. Both teams combined for 30 runs and 36 hits in a three hour and 15 minute contest. RIC wins its third straight and raises its record to 11-5, while the Hawks fall to 11-6. The game took three hours and 15 minutes to complete.

The fireworks began in the top of the first inning as the Hawks loaded the bases on a fielding error, single and a walk, paving the way for junior first baseman Alex Perry’s (Glastonbury, CT) one-out, grand slam homer (2). Perry added an RBI double in the third as Roger Williams took a 5-1 lead into the home half of the inning.

Senior first baseman Jim Connell (Smithfield, RI) and classmate designated hitter Robert Reyes (Providence, RI) belted RBI doubles to pull the Anchormen within two runs, 5-3.

RWU exploded for five runs in the fourth inning, chasing Rhode Island College sophomore starting pitcher Paul Vatter (Warwick, RI) from the game. Junior shortstop Kevin Simpson (Londonderry, NH) and Perry once again did the damage, contributing a pair of two-run singles. Sophomore Mike Boucher (Woonsocket, RI) came on relief to close out the frame before giving way to freshman Rob Rushton (Freetown, MA) in the fifth.

The Anchormen stormed back to take their first lead of the game in the bottom of the fifth, plating nine runs on nine hits, to take a 13-10 lead. Roger Williams junior starting pitcher James Lydon (Calverton, NY) was lifted after RIC senior second baseman Pete Olson (North Providence, RI) blasted a three-run home run (2). The Anchormen kept the pressure on RWU freshman reliever Eric Brown (Norwood, MA), capped by sophomore left fielder Jared Rossi’s (Johnston, RI) bases-clearing three-run triple.

Sophomore Jared Rossi

Roger Williams picked up a run on an RBI single by sophomore shortstop Grant Bolin (Simsbury, CT) in the sixth, but Rushton got out of a two-on, one-out situation by inducing an inning-ending double play. Junior second baseman Bill Lambert (Hanover, MA) reached on an error to start the seventh and later scored on Simpson’s RBI ground out, while junior left fielder Tim Atwood (Gorham, ME) tied the game up, 13-13, with an RBI single. RIC sophomore reliever Bobby Venditto (Cranston, RI) took over for Rushton and ended the inning with a strikeout.

The Anchormen greeted RWU sophomore reliever Greg Souza (Billerica, MA) in the bottom of the eighth by putting two aboard with no outs and Rossi followed with his fourth RBI of the day on a single. Simpson came on to pitch, but would fair no better, surrendering a run on sophomore pinch hitter Tim Schabowski’s (Pascoag, RI) RBI ground out to put RIC on top by two, 15-13.

RIC added insurance runs in the bottom of the eighth as junior shortstop Josh Cardoso (Dartmouth, MA) and Rossi were hit by pitches with the bases loaded to plate two and end the day’s scoring.

Venditto picked up his first win (1-0) of the season, while Souza (0-1) took the loss. RIC junior closer Eric Fama (Wappingers Falls, NY) came on to pitch a scoreless ninth inning.

Rossi led six Anchormen with three hits, going 3-for-5 with one run scored, five RBI and a triple. Olson went 3-for-5 with one run scored, four RBI and a homer.

Perry was the offensive star for the Hawks, going 3-for-5 with two runs scored, six RBI and a home run.

In upcoming action, Rhode Island College will play at Little East Conference foe UMass Dartmouth tomorrow afternoon at 3:30 p.m.

-Complete box score to follow-