March 3, 2006
NORFOLK, VA.--Lead-off hitter Daryl Holcomb knocked in six runs on fivehits to lead defending Atlantic-10 champion Rhode Island (1-0) to an 11-4 victory over ODU (11-3) Friday evening at the Bud Metheny Baseball Complex.
ODU jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first As Bryan Cipolla singled home ChrisKeenan, and Justin Gregula doubled in Mike Zahm. Cipolla also knocked in a run in thesecond and Jimmy Miles knocked in a run in the fourth. Cipolla now has 21 runs battedin this year. Last year, he ranked fourth in the CAA with 67 RBI. Gregulaand Zahm each had three hits for the Monarchs, while Jimmy Miles andTyler Belcher had two hits each.
Trailing, 2-0, The Rams exploded for eight runs in the second capped off with aa three-run triple by Holcomb which plated Dave Savard, Mike O'Malley and Josh Nestor. Gregg Allen finished the scoring with a two-run homer in the same inning.Holcomb then hit a three-run homer in the sixth with O'Malley and Savard aboard.
Stephen Holmes picked up the win for URI. He pitched six innings with seven strikeouts. Jamie Degidio finished the final three innings and got the save. Bryan Hansenpitched seven-plus innings in relief for ODU, allowing only three runs.
Both teams had 13 hits, but ODU stranded nine in the first four innings, 13 in all.The two teams play Saturday at 5:00.
URI 080 003 000 11-13-1ODU 211 000 000 4-13-0
URI:Holmes, Degidio (7) and NestorODU: Gunter, Hansen (2) and BelcherWP: Holmes (1-0), LP: Gunter (2-2) SA: Degidio (1)HR: URI-Holcomb (1), Allen (1)