University of Connecticut Athletics
Baseball Falls to Rhode Island, 8-3
5/10/2005 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
KINGSTON, R.I. (May 10, 2005) – The University of Connecticut baseball team, playing in its first game since May 1, fell to Rhode Island by a score of 8-3 on Tuesday afternoon in Kingston, R.I. The loss is only the second for UConn in its last eight games as the Huskies move to 28-19 (8-9 BIG EAST) while URI improves to 29-16 (17-4 A-10).
The Huskies jumped on the board in the top of the second, scoring twice to go up 2-0. Freshman Vin DiFazio (Hampton, N.J.) led off with a hit by pitch. Sophomores Josh Farkes (Boston, Mass.) and Larry Day (Amesbury, Mass.) each followed with singles to load the bases. Classmate Dennis Donovan (Center Moriches, N.Y.) hit a sac fly to center field to score DiFazio. Junior Austin Wasserman (Nashua, N.H.) then drove in the second UConn run on a double down the left line to bring home Farkes.
URI tied the score in the bottom of the third, evening the game at 2-2. The scoring included a solo homerun by Zach Zaneski.
UConn pulled ahead again in the top of the fourth, scoring a run to go up 3-2. With two outs, Donovan reached on an error by the shortstop. Freshman Pat Mahoney (Des Moines, Iowa) then singled to center to bring home Donovan from second.
The Rams took the lead for the first time in the bottom of the sixth inning, scoring two runs on a double by Mike Rainville to move ahead 4-3. URI added four in the next inning, including three on a three-run homerun by Wayne Russo, to increase the score to 8-3.
Sophomore Rich Sirois (Ipswich, Mass.) picked up the loss for UConn, allowing five runs on three hits in 1.2 innings to move to 5-5 this season. Junior Brendan McGinn (Tolland, Conn.) started for the Huskies, pitching 2.2 innings with two runs on two hits. He was relieved by fellow junior Tim Norton (Pascoag, R.I.) who threw the next 2.1 innings with no hits, three walks and three strikeouts. Sirois then entered the game, and freshman David Erickson (Stratford, Conn.) finished the game with one runs, no hits, three walks and a strikeout in the last 1.1 innings.
URI starter Adam Perkins improved to 9-1 with the win, setting a new school record for wins in a season.
Wasserman and Hourigan were the only Huskies to tally multiple hits in the game, both going 2-for-5. They totaled half of the team’s hits, with UConn out-hitting the Rams 8-6.
Connecticut will next play host to Sacred Heart on Thursday, May 12 at J.O. Christian Field. The game will begin at 2:00 p.m.
