The University of Rhode Island’s softball team suffered four losses in five games this week, as it dropped a series against Atlantic 10 Conference opponent Saint Joseph’s University over the weekend, followed by a midweek sweep at the hands of in-state rival Brown University.
The Rams and Hawks were originally scheduled to start their series on Saturday, but due to weather concerns, the decision was made by both programs to play a doubleheader on Friday.
“We looked ahead on Monday or Tuesday and told the kids, ‘We might have to play on Friday,’ so if we do, they’re prepared for it,” URI Head Coach Mike Coutts said. “Then once [the schedule] changed, today’s just [a] regular game day, and everything’s the same.”
The first game of the doubleheader ended in an 8-7 extra-innings win for the Hawks. URI built an early 4-0 lead through four innings thanks to first-year Julianne Torres’s RBI single, third-year Casey Miller’s RBI groundout and first-year Katie Knarr’s two-run single.
Saint Joseph’s was able to rally back with a three-run fifth inning where the Rams committed two errors, along with a wild pitch. After Torres hit her second RBI single of the day in the bottom of the fifth, the Hawks stole the lead from the Rams with a four-run sixth inning. The Rams walked 10 Saint Joseph’s batters during the game, including the first three batters of the sixth inning. A URI error and a two-run single brought in the four runs that gave the Hawks a 7-5 lead.
With the Rams down to their last out, third-year Kylie Bulinski delivered a two-run single with the bases loaded to tie the game and force extra innings.
“I needed that hit,” Bulinski said. “I haven’t had a good hit in what feels like a long time, but my teammates all say I have had a good hit, but for me, that felt like the best barrel I’ve hit in a really long time.”
The two teams needed to play two extra innings to determine the winner; in the top of the ninth, fourth-year Sierra Fretz hit a solo home run to give the Hawks an 8-7 lead. The Rams loaded the bases with two outs in the bottom of the inning, but Knarr hit a pop-up to center field that ended the game and gave Saint Joseph’s the win.
The second game of the doubleheader was suspended after the conclusion of the fifth inning and resumed play at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday.
Before the suspension of play, Rhody put six runs on the scoreboard in the first two innings, including a five-run first inning. Third-year pitcher Ashley Hibbard allowed just two hits, two walks and zero runs through the five innings of play on Friday. Fourth-year Katie Zaun pitched the last two innings when play resumed on Saturday, where she held Saint. Joseph’s to two runs and secured the 6-2 win for the Rams.
“We have to believe we’re a good team,” Coutts said. “When you believe you’re a good team, you’re going to go out and win some of these games… but you know, they hung in there, and they played together, and they had great efforts, so I’m proud of them.”
In the series finale, Saint Joseph’s followed in Rhody’s footsteps of getting out to a quick start, as it scored nine runs in the top of the first inning and finished with 14 runs total, defeating the Rams 14-1 in five innings due to the mercy rule. Bulinski brought in URI’s only run of the game with a solo home run in the bottom of the first, and had just one of two hits in the game for the Rams. The Rams have yet to win a conference series this season.
In an Ocean State rivalry doubleheader on Wednesday, URI was held scoreless in both games, while Brown put up a combined 18 runs. URI could not advance any runners past first base despite putting up four hits in the first game. The second game wasn’t any better for the Rams as the Bears won 11-0 in five innings. Brown put up seven runs in the third inning as Rhody allowed five hits, four walks and committed two errors in the frame.
The Rams host Saint Louis University for a doubleheader on Saturday, and will complete the series with a game on Sunday. All three games will be broadcast on ESPN+.
