May 26, 2005

Box Score

DAYTON - Dayton built an early 3-0 lead, but could not withstand a middle-inning charge by top-seeded Rhode Island as the Rams beat the Flyers, 7-4 Thursday on the second day of the 2005 Atlantic 10 Baseball Championships in front of 812 fans at Fifth Third Field.

The loss drops Dayton to 35-22 overall and puts the Flyers into a 7:30 pm meeting with Duquesne Thursday night in an elimination game.

UD managed just four runs on the afternoon despite out hitting the Rams 13-12 on the strength of four multi-hit performances. Three Flyers had three hits a piece including junior Bryan Chandler who reached base four of the five times he came to the plate. Chandler finished 3-for-4 with a walk and three RBI to lead the Dayton offense on the day.

Michael Massa and Brandon Godzik each went 3-for-4 with a double, walk and a run scored while Aaron Hepner finished 2-for-4 for the Flyers.

Galen Schumm added an RBI double while William Benoit singled and scored in addition to run scored by Roberto Ramos in the ninth inning.

Junior Luke Trubee lost just his third game of the season while throwing his 10th complete game. The righthander surrendered seven runs on 12 hits while striking out two batters on the afternoon.

Dayton tried to put the game away early as it sent seven batters to the plate and scored two runs in the first inning. Massa ledoff the game with a nine-pitch walk. Schumm followed with an RBI double to right center to plate Massa, but was thrown out trying to stretch the play into a triple. After a fly out, Benoit singled up the middle and Godzik walked to put runners on first and second with two outs. Chandler then picked up his first RBI of the day with a single through the left side to give UD a 2-0 lead its first at bat.

The Flyers added another run in the third as an RBI single by Chandler scored Godzik to put Dayton ahead 3-0 midway through the third inning.

URI responded with three runs on four hits in the bottom of the third. An RBI double sandwiched around a pair of RBI singles evened the score at 3-3 after three innings.

Rhode Island carried its momentum into the fourth inning as senior Matt Sullivan's two-run homer to left field put the Rams ahead for good, 5-3 after four innings.

The Rams added another two runs in the eighth on another two-run blast down the right field line to take a 7-3 advantage into the final inning with their closer on the mound.

Dayton got one back with a two-out RBI single off the bat of Chandler, but it was not enough as the Flyers fell to A-10 East Division Champion Rhode Island, 7-4.

For more on the 2005 A-10 Baseball Championships, visit www.atlantic10.org and for the latest on Flyer Athletics, including UD baseball, log on to www.DaytonFlyers.com.