Rowing
The University of Rhode Island women’s rowing team expectedly dealt with the same turbulent winds and unpleasant weather conditions that postponed or impacted most of URI sports teams this past weekend. But, the team was still competitive in the Doc Hosea Invitational Regatta in Saratoga Springs, N.Y., taking third in Sunday’s first Varsity 8+ heat.
The storm forced a change in scheduling as the previously planned two sessions of races on Sunday morning were split with the first one taking place on Saturday evening. URI’s best showing was a second place finish in the third Varsity 8+ race with a time of 7:26.03, roughly twenty seconds behind the first day’s powerhouse, Syracuse. The Orange finished first in three races and second in the other. Times varied significantly due to the fickle wind, which was increasingly stronger in early races.
Sunday required a clean-up effort to clear about two inches of snow off the boats and docks, but the waters were more conducive to better times than the first day, which the Rams showed when their first Varsity 8+ lineup, the same one that raced Saturday, edged Cornell out for third in a time of 6:55.14, more than 20 seconds faster than their previous showing. The race was by won by the University of Pennsylvania (6:46.80) and for the most part the day was too, as they finished first in another and also had a runner-up finish.
Rhode Island next heads to Washington, D.C. for the George Washington Invitational, beginning tomorrow at 1 p.m.
Softball
The softball team did not get on the field nearly as much they probably would have liked this past weekend, with the aforementioned weather allowing for only Friday’s home game against the University of Dayton, which they lost 12-5, to count on the schedule, with the other two and doubleheaders against in state rivals Brown University and Providence College being postponed.
The Rams (10-14, 1-3) continued their seemingly endless run of early pitching woes, as the Flyers (13-13, 2-1-1) scored two in the opening frame after senior starter Caitlin Kennedy surrendered a two-run home run to Lisa Tassi. The Rams would pick their pitcher up a bit though, when senior Olivia Hendricks doubled in two in the bottom of the second to tie the game.
The momentum was short lived, however, as Dayton piled on three more runs in the next half inning, two of them coming unearned due to a throwing error made earlier by Kennedy. Her day was cut short at 2.2 innings pitched, allowing three earned runs, and six total. Pitching troubles carried over with freshman reliever Julia Waraksy, and the game was essentially out of reach after three more runs in the fourth.
The Rams offense re-emerged in the final inning where they scored three, but a sizable deficit maintained throughout saw the Flyer’s claim the victory. Junior Ali Summers homered for one of the Rams’ three hits, both teams had four errors a piece, and extended her streak of reaching base safely to 16 games.
They travel to Saint Louis for a three-game set beginning Saturday.