The University of Rhode Island softball team traveled to Fairfax, Virginia, and took one game of a three-game series from George Mason University over the weekend.
The Rams began conference play with a set on the road against the Patriots, taking the second game of the series with a 7-5 win that took 10 innings to conclude. The game was also the second of a doubleheader that day. URI lost the first game 8-6 on Friday and was shut out 4-0 in the series finale the next day.
“You’re always disappointed when you don’t win,” URI Head Coach Mike Coutts said. “I thought we could have won two of those games instead of just one. But it showed me [that] our team has got some fight, and we can battle back.”
The Rams did indeed battle back for their lone win of the series. They trailed 5-1 heading into the seventh and final inning, but Rhody stayed alive using ‘small ball.’ A hit-by-pitch, fielder’s choice and walk loaded the bases for third-year catcher Kylie Bulinski. Her sacrifice fly brought the deficit down to three. The Rams were able to tie the game at five with two outs, and then Bulinski knocked home the winning run in the top of the 10th inning, reaching base on an error.
The game rounded out a very productive weekend for Bulinski. The catcher out of Beacon Falls, Connecticut paced the Rams with a home run, double, four walks, two runs and four RBIs across both games of the doubleheader. An Atlantic 10 Conference Player of the Week honoree a season ago, Bulinski leads the Rams in home runs by a wide margin with four already on the young season.
“Pretty much everything I was thrown this weekend were outside pitches,” Buliski said. “Knowing that and working with that adjustment… helped me a lot. I [felt] really relaxed in my at-bats.”
Second-year pitcher Avery Vale-Cruz earned A-10 Pitcher of the Week honors for her performances over the weekend. Her six innings of one-run ball in relief allowed URI to claw back in its lone win of the series. Vale-Cruz allowed just five hits, while striking out eight and walking one in her appearance out of the bullpen.
“It means a lot because it shows all the time and the work I’ve put in… has paid off to get recognition,” Vale-Cruz said. “It feels like a very big moment for me.”
She gave “most of [her] kudos” to first-year pitching coach Caitlyn Fallon, as well. One of Fallon’s many responsibilities on gameday is to call the pitches for her players to throw.
Vale-Cruz followed up her performance on Friday with 3.2 more scoreless innings in relief the next day. She recorded six more strikeouts and allowed just two hits and a walk. Her final stat line for the weekend was a 0.72 ERA across 9.2 innings with 14 strikeouts, while allowing seven hits and two walks.
“Avery pitched awesome,” Coutts said. “She was lights-out both Friday and Saturday. It was great to see her be consistent over a couple of days.”
Up next, the Rams play at home for the first time this season. They will host the University of Dayton this weekend with a doubleheader on Saturday before the series wraps up on Sunday at noon. Every game will be streamed on ESPN+, with the game on Sunday also available over the radio on RIU2.org.
