Davidson College
11-10, 2-3
Rhode Island
9-10, 2-0
'Cats Comeback Spoiled, Fall 7-6 Saturday
3/25/2017 5:16:00 PM | Baseball
Box Score (PDF) | Video Highlights
DAVIDSON, N.C. – Despite a late-inning rally and comeback, Davidson baseball dropped its Saturday contest to 2016 Atlantic 10 Champions Rhode Island 7-6 at Wilson Field, thanks to a ninth-inning two-run shot from the Rams.
The Wildcats drop to 11-10 on the season and slip to 2-3 in A-10 play, while the Rams move to within one game of .500 at 9-10, and move to 2-0 in league action.
Three 'Cats had two-hit days- juniors Cam Johnson and Alec Acosta, and sophomore Eric Jones. Jones launched his fifth long ball of the season, the then-go-ahead run in the bottom of the seventh.
URI took the lead early, scoring three times in the second. They added cushion, plating a run in each the third and fourth innings to take a 5-0 lead into the fifth.
The 'Cats began to chip away at the lead, avoiding the shutout after sophomore Justin Lebek boarded on a hit-by-pitch, advanced on a wild pitch, and scored on a double from senior Tyler Agard.
Davidson added three the following frame in exciting fashion. After three straight singles from Acosta, senior Brian Fortier, and Jones to load the bases, senior Jake Sidwell worked a five-pitch walk to bring in Acosta. Lebek was then beaned for the second time, allowing Fortier to cross, and sophomore Max Bazin collected a RBI via sacrifice fly after Jones came home.
Down 5-4 heading into the seventh, Jones played the hero card again. After senior Will Robertson extended his hit streak to 16 games with a single to left field, Jones smacked the ball over the left center wall and put Davidson in the lead.
It looked like smooth sailing the rest of the way, Davidson was one out away, before a first-pitch bomb from the Rams' top power hitter, Mike Corin, spoiled the comeback.
Sophomore Austin Leonard continued his impressive relief work, going 1.1 innings, picking up back-to-back strikeouts.
The 'Cats will look to salvage the series Sunday, with first pitch slated for 1 p.m.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: SILVESTRI, Mark (1-0)
L: Whitmire, Westin (1-2)
S: BARSS, Tyler (5)
Batting:
2B: O'NEIL, Matt 1 ; McMANUS, Brett 2
HR: FIGUEROA, Martin 1 ; CORIN, Mike 1
RBI: FIGUEROA, Martin 1 ; POWELL, Jordan 1 ; CORIN, Mike 2 ; McMANUS, Brett 1 ; FOLEY, Mike 1 ; HEISS, Kevin 1
SH: HEISS, Kevin 2
Base Running:
RUNS: FIGUEROA, Martin 1 ; O'NEIL, Matt 2 ; CORIN, Mike 2 ; McMANUS, Brett 1 ; FOLEY, Mike 1
CS: McMANUS, Brett 1
HBP: CORIN, Mike 1 ; HILL, Laurence 1
Batting:
2B: Johnson, Cam 2 ; Agard, Tyler 1
HR: Jones, Eric 1
RBI: Jones, Eric 2 ; Sidwell, Jake 1 ; Lebek, Justin 1 ; Bazin, Max 1 ; Agard, Tyler 1
SH: Acosta, Alec 1
SF: Bazin, Max 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Robertson, Will 1 ; Acosta, Alec 1 ; Fortier, Brian 1 ; Jones, Eric 2 ; Lebek, Justin 1
CS: Bazin, Max 1
HBP: Lebek, Justin 2
