May 17, 2013

Box Score

MERION STATION, Pa. - The Saint Joseph's baseball team battled back with three runs in the final two innings, but the Crimson and Gray ultimately fell to Rhode Island, 13-8, at Smithson Field on Friday afternoon.

In the game, senior Anthony Cirillo tied a single-season school record when he was hit by a pitch for the 16th time this season.

Rhode Island (33-22 overall, 16-7 Atlantic 10) took a 2-0 lead in the first on two hits. The Rams extended the lead to seven in the second, tacking on a five-spot on five hits.

Saint Joseph's (26-25 overall, 12-11 Atlantic 10) got on the board in the bottom of the frame, plating a pair of runs to cut the deficit to five. Chris Hueth led off the inning with a single before advancing to third two batters later on a double by Cirillo. Quinn Renner then beat out an infield single to score Hueth before Cirillo came in on a passed ball to make it 7-2.

URI answered with a singleton in the top of the third, but the Hawks got one back in the bottom half when an RBI fielder's choice by Greg Kumpel scored Stefan Kancylarz to make it 8-3.

The Rams hung three on the board in the fourth on three hits and an error to extend the lead to eight.

SJU added a pair in the fifth on a two-out, two-run single by Renner to cut the lead to 11-5, but Rhode Island notched single tallies in the seventh and eighth innings to restore the eight-run advantage.

In the bottom of the eighth, Collin Forgey doubled and came in to score on another double by Brian O'Keefe. In the ninth, back-to-back singles by Forgey and Kancylarz set the final margin at 13-8.

Sean Furney earned the win for Rhode Island, improving to 7-3. Daniel Thorpe took the loss, falling to 5-7.

Forgey and O'Keefe tallied three hits apiece for the Hawks, while Renner added three RBI. Cirillo scored two runs in the game as well.

The Hawks and Rams will close out the regular season at noon on Saturday. Before the game, the Hawks will honor their departing seniors in a pre-game ceremony.