Knights Outpaced by No. 3 Roadrunners in First Game of College World Series

05.26.19

Greeneville, TN – May 26, 2019: The CCRI Knights baseball team took to the field for their first game of the 2019 NJCAA DIII College World Series. They came up against the No. 1 tournament seeded and third nationally ranked Rowan College of Gloucester County Roadrunners. Rowan showed their class, outplaying the Knights and winning the game 6-1. The loss drops CCRI's season record to 26-11 overall, 15-1 in Region XXI play and 14-1 in League play.

The Roadrunners come into the College World Series as the number one seed but most importantly with a plethora of momentum. They emerged winners of the Region XIX Tournament where they upended No. 3 nationally ranked Northampton 11-1 and No. 1 nationally ranked Cumberland County 21-1 in route to the title.

They carried this energy onto the diamond, scoring the opening run in the second followed by three runs in the fourth inning to take a 4-0 lead. CCRI would score in the top of the fifth when sophomore co-captain Zach Odsen (Providence, RI) hit an RBI single through the left side to bring home freshman Anthony Ramos (Cranston, RI). The Roadrunners would score two additional runs in the bottom of the eighth and would go onto win the game 6-1.

Freshman pitcher Ben Sears (East Providence, RI) started on the mound for the Knights. Sears pitched well but found himself up against a prolific hitting team that pounced on every misplaced pitch. Ben threw seven and a third innings, allowing nine hits and six earned runs while striking out five batters. Freshman Riley Beard (North Kingstown, RI) came in for relief, pitching two thirds of an inning, striking out one batter and not conceding a hit.

CCRI's offense struggled, only combining for four hits and one run. Sophomore Ray Aponte (East Providence, RI) hit well, going 2-3 on the day with two singles and reaching a third time after drawing a walk. Zack Odsen went 1-4, a single with an RBI. Anthony Ramos also went 1-4 with a single and a run scored.

The CCRI Knights baseball team will next be in action on Sunday, May 26th at 1:00 p.m. as they take on the Herkimer College Generals in a must win game for both teams. For all things CCRI Athletics, be sure to follow us on Instagram, Twitter and YouTube by clicking on these links!

The Community College of Rhode Island, New England's largest comprehensive community college, enrolls nearly 15,000 students in credit courses and thousands more in non-credit and job training classes. Its athletic program boasts 12 varsity programs and an academic support program for all student-athletes.