CARDOSO KNOCKS IN FIVE AS RIC
DEFEATS WESTCONN, 10-5

Danbury, CT—The Rhode Island College baseball team broke a 5-5 tie with four runs in the pivotal eighth inning and went on to defeat Western Connecticut State University, 10-5, at Westside Field on Friday afternoon.

The Anchormen, 19-10 overall and 3-6 in the Little East Conference, threatened in the top of the second after Mike Guistino (Wappingers Falls, NY) hit an one-out triple just out of the reach of WestConn right fielder Dan Baccaro (Berlin, CT), but he was stranded 90 feet from home plate.

Senior Shortstop Josh Cardoso

WestConn took a 1-0 lead after Zach Dandrea (Wanaque, NJ) opened the bottom half of the second with a double in the left-field gap then Ryan Koschmieder (Groton, CT) walked. Dandrea was forced out at third but Koschmieder later came in to score on a wild pitch by RIC starter Gary Levesque (East Providence, RI).

Rhode Island took the lead in the top of the third when Josh Cardoso (Dartmouth, MA) belted a three-run home run (3) just inside the right-field fair pole.

Levesque worked out of a jam in the home half of the fourth. Koschmieder led off with a single to right center and Jeff Gordon (Milford, CT) followed with a single through the left side. They both moved up on a failed pick off attempts which got away from second baseman Garrett Grenier (North Smithfield, RI), but Levesque got away unscathed.

An inning later, the Colonials scored three runs, all with two outs, to take a 4-3 lead. Koschmieder hit a two-RBI single through the left side, plating Matt Perper (New City, NY) and Dandrea. Then Mike Baccaro pushed Koschmieder across with a single to left field.

After RIC put runners on first and second with back-to-back singles, from Jordan Amorin (Swansea, MA) and Giustino, Zancan closed out the inning by catching Jeff Costa (Pawtucket, RI) and Grenier each looking at strike three.

Levesque went five innings, allowing four runs on 10 hits while striking out five and walking two.

The Anchormen went ahead, 5-4 in the top of the seventh. Jared Rossi (Johnston, RI) led off the inning with his seventh round tripper of the season. One out later, Cardoso drove in Levesque from first base with a double to deep right field. The game was far from over though.

WestConn, 11-14 overall and 3-2 in the LEC, drew even at 5-5 in the bottom half of the inning when Koschmieder plated Dandrea from second base on a single to right center.

Koschmieder went 3-for-4, had three RBI and scored two runs to lead the Colonials offense.

WestConn senior righty Alex Zancan (Danbury, CT) had a solid performance. Over seven full, he allowed five runs on 11 hits, struck out seven and did not issue a free pass.

Joe Postemsky (Windham, CT) was saddled with the loss and is now 0-2 on the year after coming on for Zancan in the eighth . Before he could get settle in, three runs, only one of them earned, came across and he exited the game with two out and the bases still juiced. The Anchormen batted around in the inning and scored their final two runs of the frame on hit batsmen by Postemsky and reliever Billy Thompson (Brookfield, CT) and built a 9-5 lead.

RIC's offense, which added an insurance run in the ninth, was paced by Cardoso who went 2-for-4 with five runs batted in. Rossi went 3-for-6 with a pair of RBI and scored two runs. Levesque and Costa contributed three hits apiece.

The Colonials threatened off reliever and winner Cory Madore (Carver, MA) in their eighth, but failed to score with the bases loaded when Koschmieder ground into an inning-ending double play. Madore improves to 3-0 on the season after allowing one hit over an inning and a third. He struck out one and walked two.

RIC senior closer Eric Fama (Wappingers Falls, NY) struck out two and threw a scoreless ninth.

In upcoming action, Rhode Island College will resume the Little East Conference circuit when it plays at Plymouth State on Saturday, Apr. 18.

-end-

CARDOSO KNOCKS IN FIVE AS RIC DEFEATS WESTCONN, 10-5

CARDOSO KNOCKS IN FIVE AS RIC
DEFEATS WESTCONN, 10-5