FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

May 19, 2006

2006 ECAC New England Div. III
Baseball Championship Score Report

Providence, RI

First Round Game

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#5 UMass Boston (19-18)

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#4 Rhode Island College (21-20)

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ANCHORMEN ADVANCE WITH, 9-4, WIN
Naylor’s Three-Run Homer Puts Game Out of Reach

Providence, RI—Fourth-seeded Rhode Island College advanced in the 2006 Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) New England Baseball Championship with a 9-4 win over fifth-seeded UMass Boston. The Anchormen will play top-seeded Keene State in the semi-finals at Keene on Sunday, May 21 at 3 p.m.

Both starting pitcher’s had their respective struggles in the game. UMass Boston sophomore starting pitcher Nick Conway (Methuen, MA) allowed six runs on six hits to go along with three errors, three wild pitches and five hit batsmen as his record falls to 5-7 on the season. Rhode Island College freshman starting pitcher Kyle Jones (Middleboro, MA) surrendered four runs on four hits to go along with two walks, two wild pitches and three hit batsmen as his record improves to 4-4.

The Anchormen came back from a 4-2 deficit in the bottom of the fourth inning on RBI singles from sophomore designated hitter Pete Olson (North Providence, RI) and freshman left fielder Chris O’Connors (North Kingstown, RI) and a two-RBI double from sophomore first baseman Jim Connell (North Smithfield, RI). O’Connors’ RBI-single established a new RIC record for hits (65) in a season.

Rhode Island College put the game out of reach on junior right fielder Mike Naylor’s (Warwick, RI) three-run homer (4) in the sixth inning off of junior reliever Mike Mish (South Hadley, MA).

Freshman reliever Donovan Rabbitt (Wood River Jct., RI), junior Brian Farley (North Providence, RI) and sophomore closer Eric Fama (Wappingers Falls, NY) combined to throw four innings of scoreless relief.

The Anchormen improve to 21-20 on the season, while UMass Boston, which was making its first-ever ECAC Tournament appearance, ends its season with a 19-18 mark. Beacon junior center fielder Bob Kniffen (Halifax, MA) established a new UMass Boston single-season record with 57 hits, going 1-for-4 with an RBI in a losing effort.