ST. BONAVENTURE, N.Y. – Rhode Island plated runs in both the ninth and 10th innings to rally for a 5-4 victory over the St. Bonaventure baseball team Saturday afternoon inside Handler Park at McGraw-Jennings Field.
After multiple rallies of their own, the Bonnies took a 4-3 lead to the ninth following a dramatic two-run homer off the bat of Kyle Caccamise to surge ahead after eight innings.
In their last try to force extras, the Rams were down to their final out before Rob Butler smashed a ball to second base that took a wicked hop and allowed the tying run to scamper home from second.
Rhode Island pushed ahead in the 10th on a one-out homer to straightaway center from Alex Ramirez. Bonnies centerfielder Adam Rankie nearly corralled it, losing his glove over the fence in an attempt to keep the game tied.
With the win, the Rams scored their second come-from-behind victory in as many days to improve to 5-3 in Atlantic 10 play while the Bonnies slip to 2-6.
Sophomore Luke Roggenburk starred on the hill in a starting role, tossing a career-high seven full innings while scattering six hits, allowing only two runs. Roggenburk struck out four and did not walk a batter, throwing 63 of his 96 pitches for strikes.
Bryce Hediger worked the final three innings with a pair of strikeouts.
Rhode Island starter Trystan Levesque tossed three perfect innings to begin the game before Rankie broke up the no-no with a bloop single to right opening up the fourth.
Pierce Hendershot moved the runner up with a sacrifice bunt and a ground out advanced the runner to third before Mark Darakjy came through with a two-out single to center for the game's first run.
Rhode Island matched the Bonnies with some two-out hitting of its own the very next inning to tie the game at 1-apiece.
That score would last until the seventh when Anthony DePino deposited a ball beyond left-center for his eighth homer of the year and a 2-1 Rams lead.
Darakjy started another rally in the seventh with a double, later coming home with the tying run following a wild pitch.
Rhode Island grabbed the lead back, 3-2, with a run in the eighth before Caccamise catapulted the Bonnies ahead with his two-run bomb to right.Â
Levesque entered the day having struck out 57 batters in 42 innings on the season but fanned only two Bona's batters. Jon Morrison picked up the win in relief with two scoreless innings while Ryan Andrade got the save, his fifth, with a scoreless 10th.
The two teams meet for the series finale Sunday at noon.
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