April 10, 2009
Game 1 Box Score
Game 2 Box Score
KINGSTON, RI - La Salle Baseball dropped both ends of its doubleheader at Bill Beck Field on Friday afternoon, as Rhode Island had to come from behind to win both games, 9-5 and 6-4, in Atlantic 10 Conference action.
Justin Handler and Chris Umstead each had three hits on the day, as Handler scored three times and Umstead drove in three runs. The pair also extended their career-long hitting streaks - as Handler has a team-long for the season 12 gamer, while Umstead is now at 10 straight.
The difference during the day was hitting with two outs, as Rhode Island was 10-for-24 (.417) with two outs and scored nine runs. La Salle batted just 4-for-22 (.182) and plated four runs.
GAME 1
Down 1-0 after the third inning, when Rhode Island scored an unearned run, the Explorers answered with single runs of their own in the fourth and fifth to take a 2-1 lead.
TJ Chism scored on a sac fly to right off the bat of Umstead to tie the contest at 1-all. Then, Zack Feierstein crossed the plate on an RBI single by Jeff Flax.
The Rams answered with a two-out rally in the sixth. Dan Rhault led off the frame with a single, but La Salle starter Drew Gerhart retired the next two batters. However, two walks later, the bases were loaded and then were cleared on Kenny Burns' triple to left center.
One inning later - in the seventh - Rhode Island tacked on three more runs to increase its lead to 7-2.
La Salle was able to get three runs back in the top of the eighth - Marc Schoch, Umstead, and Feierstein all hit RBI singles to cut their deficit to 7-5.
However, the Rams hit back-to-back round trippers in the bottom of the frame to add a couple more insurance runs and take the game, 9-5.
Tim Boyce went seven innings and allowed just four hits and three runs to improve his record to 4-1, while Gerhart suffered the loss and is 2-3 on the season.
GAME 2
Again, the Rams put the first run on the board - a Rhault RBI single - only to see the Explorers respond to knot the game at 1-all in the next inning - an Umstead RBI single that scored Handler.
Rhode Island (19-12-1, 9-2 A-10) took back its lead in the fourth thanks to another two-out rally, as Mike LeBel hit a bases-loaded double to score a pair and put the Rams up 3-1.
La Salle battled back to tie the game at 3-all in the top of the sixth - a two-out two-RBI single by Jon Gyles - and then took the a one-run lead in the seventh when John Malloy doubled home Brian Meagher.
However, the Rams plated two in the bottom of the frame to take a 5-4 lead and added one insurance run in the eighth.
Out of the pen, Ken Graveline won the game for Rhode Island and is now 2-1 and Luke Demko picked up his second save of 2009. Kevin Fuqua dropped to 3-3 after going six innings, allowing five runs and striking out five.
La Salle (13-17, 2-9 A-10) will complete the three-game series at Rhode Island on Saturday with first pitch scheduled for 2 PM.
