PROVIDENCE, R.I. – The Roger Williams University Baseball team dropped a tightly contested 7-6 non-conference game to Rhode Island College on Wednesday afternoon at Pontarelli Field.
The Anchormen struck first in the opening inning, using an RBI triple from Aiden Bolwell and a sacrifice fly from Daniel Cascio to take a 2-0 lead.
Roger Williams answered in the third, as Noah Hester (Old Saybrook, Conn.) delivered an RBI single to score Luke Miele (Wellesley, Mass.) and cut the deficit in half, 2-1.
Rhode Island College added a run in the bottom of the third, but the Hawks responded with a strong fourth inning. Sam Arcieri (Westwood, N.J.) tied the game with a two-RBI double, and Hester later reached on an error that allowed Arcieri to score, giving Roger Williams the lead at 4-3.
The game shifted in the sixth inning, when Rhode Island College capitalized on miscues and timely situational hitting to plate three runs. RIC had two runs score on a throwing error and a wild pitch, before a sacrifice fly from Parker Camelo plated their third run of the inning to regain a 6-4 lead.
Roger Williams continued to fight back, as Casey DeLorenzo (East Greenwich, R.I.) drove in Jack Tubman (Bellingham, Mass.) with an RBI double in the seventh to make it a one-run game. After the Anchormen added a run in the bottom half of the seventh to go up by two, Hester came through again in the eighth with his second RBI single of the day, scoring Devin Driscoll (Portsmouth, N.H.) to trim the deficit to 7-6.
The Hawks threatened in the ninth but were unable to complete the comeback, as Rhode Island College secured the win.
Roger Williams finished with 11 hits in the game, led by Hester, who went 3-for-5 with two RBI. Arcieri recorded a hit and two RBI, while DeLorenzo added two hits and an RBI. Miele contributed two hits, and Driscoll, Tubman, and Nick Dimaso (Cortlandt Manor, N.Y.) each added a hit and a run scored.
On the mound, Gianni Mercurio (Newbury, Mass.) started and allowed three runs over five innings while striking out four. Danny Powers (Mansfield, Mass.) was charged with the loss in relief, while Tyler DiCecco (Rumford, R.I.) and Matt Seminara (Succasunna, N.J.) combined to finish the game.
Roger Williams falls to (16-19, 9-7 CNE) and will look to bounce back as they finish the regular season on the road on Saturday, May 2 at WNE.
