Gaspar launched his team-leading eighth homerun of the season. (Photo Credit Mary Gettens).

EASTON, Mass. (April 24, 2024) – The Stonehill College baseball team dropped a 13-4 decision to the University of Rhode Island at Lou Gorman Field Wednesday afternoon. With the loss, the Skyhawks fall to 12-22 overall, while the Rams improve to 13-22 on the season.   

HIGHLIGHTS

• Junior Taylor Gaspar drove home pair of runs for the Skyhawks and finished the game with a team-high two hits.
• Gaspar also launched his team-leading eighth homerun, while senior Trey Ciulla-Hall belted his seventh of the season. 
• Freshman Cam Morrison recorded a single-game career-high two hits on the day.
• Sophomore Pierce Friedman tallied a career-high mark of six strikeouts over 3.0 innings of relief.
• Graduate student DJ Perron registered his fourth homerun of the year in going 2-for-4 on the day with four runs batted in for URI. 
• Redshirt freshman Will Hindle and sophomore Connor Grotyohahn each drove home a pair of runs for the Rams.
• Redshirt sophomore Brandon Hsu (2-2) picked up the win on the mound for URI in a quality start effort after allowing just two earned runs over 6.0 innings of work.

HOW IT HAPPENED

The Rams jumped out to an early three-run lead after the opening frame after a bases-loaded walk and a dropped fly ball in right allowed three runs to cross the plate with two outs in the inning. An RBI single in the top half of the second inning from sophomore Michael Anderson brought junior Anthony DePino around to score, increasing the URI lead to 4-0 early in the non-conference contest.

In the bottom half of the second, redshirt junior Jack Thorbahn would lead off the inning by reaching second base after an error made by the Rams' second baseman. After advancing over to third, 90 feet away from home, on a fly out to right from senior Blaine Lidsky, Gaspar would step into the box and lace an RBI single into center field, bringing the game back within three heading into the third.

However, URI would tack on four more runs over the next three innings to take a commanding 8-1 lead heading into the bottom of the fifth. Continuing his strong outing at the dish, Gaspar belted the second pitch of the bottom half over the right-centerfield fence to score the Skyhawk's second run of the game. Following a run in the top of the sixth after an errant throw from Stonehill's catcher down to second, Ciulla-Hall would answer with a solo blast in the bottom half, bringing the score to 9-3 still in favor of the Rams.

Continuing the theme of trading runs back and forth, URI regained its seven-run lead in the seventh as an RBI double off the bat of Perron would score junior Eric Genther, who kicked things off in the frame, drawing a walk. In the bottom of the eighth, after a pair of scoreless half innings, graduate student Conor Kiely would step up to the plate and drive a run-scoring single into the right field gap, plating Morrison and cutting the gap to six heading into the ninth.

After Perron belted a three-run homerun into left field in the top half, postgrad reliever Tommy Hughes came on in relief and sealed the 13-4 victory for the Rams with three straight strikeouts.

Friedman struck out a career-high six batters in 3.0 innings of relief. (Photo Credit Crystal Ayn Hagberg).

INSIDE THE BOX & NOTES

• Gaspar and Ciulla-Hall extended their on-base streaks to 17 and 20 games, respectively.
• Gaspar improved his hitting streaks to nine straight games, while redshirt sophomore Sam Parks is now riding a six-game hit streak.
• Senior Tim Cotter (0-2) took the loss after allowing five runs, two of them earned, over 3.0 innings with three strikeouts.
• Junior Max Brulport, redshirt freshman Jake Lanzer, and freshman Francisco Melendez each also appeared in relief for the Skyhawks.

UP NEXT

Stonehill (12-22, 7-11 NEC) returns to Northeast Conference play this weekend, hosting Coppin State at Lou Gorman Field. First pitch of Friday's series opener between the Skyhawks and Eagles is set for 3 p.m.

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