Georgetown, Texas--Freshman second baseman Lucas McElroy (Westport, Mass.) crushed his first career home run as the Rhode Island College baseball team fell, 7-5, in the second game of a doubleheader played at Southwestern University's Rockwell Field on Saturday afternoon.
 
THE BASICS
Southwestern 7, Rhode Island College 5
Southwestern (5-1)
Rhode Island College (1-2)
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
• SWU got on the board first with an RBI single from sophomore left fielder Christian Melillo (Houston, Texas) in the bottom of the opening frame.
 
• In the top of the third inning, junior center fielder Cameron Santerre (Bristol, R.I.) hit a ball to the second baseman that was not fielded cleanly, which allowed junior shortstop Izaiah Rivera (Pawtucket, R.I.) to score the tying run.
 
• The Pirates broke things open a bit in the fourth inning, tagging RIC for three runs.
 
• McElroy hit a home run in the top of the fifth inning that sliced into the Pirates', 4-2, lead.
 
• The McElroy homer woke up the Anchormen bats, as they tacked on multiple runs in the sixth inning to build a 5-4 lead.
 
• SWU took those three runs right back in the bottom of the stanza, with freshman right fielder Josh Endo (Houston, Texas) driving in the eventual winning run on a two-RBI single.
 
• Southwestern was able to extend the lead to a pair, 7-5, with a run in the eighth.
 
• Rivera went 3-for-4 with an RBI.
 
• Endo was the best bat for the Pirates, going 2-for-5 with a pair of runs driven in.
 
• RIC sophomore pitcher Harrison Mansfield (Uxbridge, Mass.) took the loss (0-1).
 
• SWU sophomore pitcher Carson Brown (Houston, Texas) pitched six innings and earned the win (1-0). Junior pitcher Stephen Rutherford (Houston, Texas) earned the save.
 
WHAT'S NEXT
In upcoming action, Rhode Island College will battle Baldwin Wallace at the Snowbird Classic (Fla.) on Saturday, March 4 (10:30 a.m.).