May 22, 2013

BOX SCORE | CHAMPIONSHIP CENTRAL

CHARLOTTE, N.C. - Third-seeded Rhode Island got a complete game effort from right-hander Mike Bradstreet as the Rams topped sixth-seeded La Salle 5-2 in the first day of the 2013 Atlantic 10 Baseball Championship at Charlotte's Robert and Mariam Hayes Stadium.

Rhode Island moves on to play second-seeded Charlotte at 1:30 p.m. on Thursday. La Salle will have to turn around and play Richmond in an elimination game.

Bradstreet threw 117 pitches en route to his eighth win of the year. He surrendered just five hits and two unearned runs, while striking out six and not surrendering a walk.

The Rams struck for a pair of runs in the home half of the third inning, scoring on a fielding error by the Explorers and when Shane O'Connell walked with the bases loaded to make it 2-0. La Salle drew even in the fifth inning when it took advantage of three Rhode Island errors in the frame.

URI responded in bottom half of the inning, taking the lead for good on an RBI single by Pay Quinn. After a pinch hit RBI single from Derek Gardella made it 4-2, Joe Landi laid down a squeeze bunt to score Gardella and make it 5-2.

Shawn O'Neil came in relief for La Salle and took the loss after allowing three runs in 1.2 innings of work, dropping his recorded to 5-7 on the year. Each game of the 2013 A-10 Baseball Championship can be viewed live via webstream on the Atlantic 10's online home -- www.atlantic10.com.