The University of Rhode Island baseball team suffered a four-game series sweep to start its season on the road against Jacksonville University over the weekend.
“We need to be better,” Rhode Island Head Coach Raphael Cerrato said. “I haven’t lost any faith in this team, that this team can’t be a good team.”
Friday’s scheduled starter, third-year Joe Sabbath, was pushed to Saturday because of an oblique injury. It left fourth-year Braeden Perry to open the season. He did not get off to the start the Rams were hoping for. He could only record one out before being relieved.
Third-year Josh Kopetski came in to finish the inning. After drawing a flyout, he allowed a grand slam to second-year Cade Walter for his second homer of the inning.
“Giving up eight runs in the first inning of the first game of the season really put us on our heels and gave [Jacksonville] a ton of confidence,” Cerrato said. “Perry, who had pitched great preseason, just didn’t feel good physically.”
Rhode Island scraped across a run in the fifth, loading the bases before third-year Reece Moroney was plunked. Fourth-year Jack Hopko flew out to finish the inning, leaving the bases loaded.
The Rams’ late rally fell short in the seventh, adding two runs to take a 16-3 loss in their season opener. Fourth-year Ryan Henschel had an RBI-single before first-year Jayden Tolentino drove in a run in his debut at-bat as he grounded into a double play.
Sabbath made his start on Saturday for the first game of a doubleheader, going four innings and giving up four runs in his first time not coming out of the bullpen. A six-spot in the fifth led the way for Jacksonville in an 11-6 win.
URI once again tried to rally in the final frame, scoring three runs on a wild pitch, a sacrifice fly and a Henschel double in the ninth.
After falling behind big in back-to-back games, the Rams returned for the seven-inning nightcap with the closest contest of the series. Jacksonville battled in a back-and-forth game to walk off a 4-3 win.
Fourth-year Connor Johnston had the best start of the weekend, working five innings, allowing two runs and striking out seven.
“He didn’t walk anybody,” Cerrato said. “His stuff is good. He’s not going to blow you away with velocity, but it’s good enough, and he can throw three or four pitches for strikes. That’s the name of the game.”
Thompson tied the game at two for the Rams at the top of the sixth with an RBI-single. He scored on a wild pitch with the bases loaded later in the inning to take the 3-2 lead.
Jacksonville got even in the bottom of the inning on an error by fifth-year Ryan King, allowing fourth-year Archer Ogbourne to score.
Third-year Tommy Turner finished the inning, making his first appearance on the mound after missing last season to injury.
With one out in the seventh inning and the bases loaded, first-year Griffin Pomper rolled a grounder to second. The Rams couldn’t turn the double play to extend the game, allowing the winning run to score.
“It was just a cheap, tough loss,” Cerrato said. “[Turner] threw the ball well; it was Tommy’s first outing in almost two years, but he looked great.”
Game four on Sunday was the opposite of competitive to close the series, with the Dolphins defeating Rhode Island 15-1.
“Our last game was really not a great effort from us,” Cerrato said. “That was the most disappointing thing about the whole weekend, I felt like we were getting better each day, and then we just did not play well at all and didn’t compete well on Sunday.”
Fourth-year Will Hindle had the only run production for the Rams, sending a solo shot over the left field wall in the fourth inning after an 11-pitch at-bat in his first plate appearance.
“It really was all because of the at-bat before,” Hindle said. “I really saw everything that the pitcher had to throw, so I knew what to expect.”
Back down south, the series against the University of Alabama kicks off on Friday at 5 p.m. The Crimson Tide is coming off a 41-win season and is a quick chance for the Rams to right the ship. The full series will be broadcast on ESPN+.
“We know that’s not who we are,” Hindle said. “It’s not going to get any easier, so we really have to just focus more when we get out on the field this week and put in a little more effort, a little more time, because we know we’re capable of being better.”
