Baseball Drops Road Contest to Rhode Island, 4-1

(boxscore)

3/21/06 -- The Long Island University baseball team suffered its ninth consecutive loss, a 4-1 setback, at Rhode Island on Tuesday afternoon.

Junior Bryan Burke (Lindenhurst, N.Y.) had two of the Blackbirds four hits in the eight inning, darkness-shortened contest.

LIU (1-10-1) scored its lone run of the game in the fifth inning. An errant throw of a dropped third strike by URI catcher Josh Nestor hit sophomore Dan Pirillo (Marlboro, N.Y.), allowing freshman Anthony Amatucci (Toms River, N.J.) to score and cut the LIU deficit to 3-1.

Sophomore URI starter Jamie Degidio was masterful on the mound, striking out 11 Blackbirds in seven innings of work. The right hander allowed only three hits all afternoon and four base runners in total.

The Rams scored runs in each of the first three innings to take command early. Junior first baseman Ryan Cunningham went 2-for-5 with a double, a run scored and an RBI to lead the URI offense.

Junior Ryan Ekberg (Carmel, N.Y.) suffered the loss on the mound for LIU, allowing three runs, only one of which was earned, over four innings.

The Long Island baseball team looks to snap its losing streak as it begins conference play on Saturday, Mar. 25 with a home doubleheader against Sacred Heart, beginning at 12:00 p.m.