The Rhode Island Rams men’s baseball team won 2-1 against the Richmond Spiders on Mar. 29, securing a victory in the final game of their weekend series in Virginia.
This win was important for Rhode Island as it allowed them to avoid a sweep and improve their Atlantic 10 conference record. The pitching staff played a key role by limiting Richmond to just three hits over nine innings.
Evan Maloney started for Rhode Island, pitching four innings and allowing one run on two hits. Relievers Jake Cullen, AJ Jones, and Manny Santos combined to give up only one more hit through the rest of the game. Cullen earned the win after throwing three innings with four strikeouts, while Santos recorded the save by facing just four batters and striking out three in his final 1.1 innings.
Offensively, Rhode Island took an early lead in the third inning when Jayden Tolentino reached base after being hit by a pitch and later scored on Scott Penney’s RBI single. Although Richmond tied it with Aidan O’Keefe’s home run in the bottom of the third, Brian Connolly doubled home Jack Hopko in the fourth inning to restore Rhode Island’s lead.
Each of Rhode Island’s four hits came from different players, with three being doubles. Penney reached base twice and contributed both an RBI and a stolen base.
Looking ahead, Rhode Island will travel to Worcester, Massachusetts for a game against Holy Cross scheduled for Wednesday, April 1 at 5 p.m.
