Members of the SLU Billikens celebrate Patrick Clohisy’s game-winning hit, Thursday against Rhode Island. (Photo: Cedric Williams)
| NCAA Baseball | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rhode Island (5-17, 0-1) | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 1 |
| SLU (17-6, 1-0) | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 12 | 1 |
WP: Ethan Bell – SLU (1-1) LP: Zach Fernandez – URI (0-1)
Cedric Williams
Senior Editor
ST. LOUIS, MO — Saint Louis University dynamite hitmeister Patrick Clohisy had four hits in the Billikens’ game against Rhode Island on Thursday.
The third hit came in a clutch moment, with a runner on and Saint Louis down 2-1 with two outs in the bottom of the seventh. That base knock to left tied the game at two.
But Clohisy saved his best hit for last, when he lined a shot into the right field gap, with two men on, in the bottom of the ninth to lift the Billikens to a 3-2 win over Rhode Island, in the first game of a three-game Atlantic 10 Conference series at the Billiken Sports Complex.
The four hits gave Clohisy a conference-best 41 hits and raised his league-leading batting average to .466. But it was his twice coming through in the clutch that brought his Billiken teammates storming out of the dugout and ready to pounce on him with hugs, high-fives, and a little Gatorade bath to celebrate the win.
SLU is now 17-6 on the year and 1-0 in A-10 play. Rhode Island fell to 5-14 and 0-1.
Before Clohisy’s heroics, Thursday’s contest was a true pitcher’s duel with both starter’s dominating the opposing lineups for their team.
SLU’s Jackson Holmes delivered six strong innings, as he allowed just four hits and one run, with zero walks and four strikeouts. The only run Holmes allowed was a solo homer in the bottom of the first inning to Rhode Island slugger Michael Anderson.
Opposing starter Evan Maloney was just as good for the Rams. He also went six innings and gave up just one run, on six hits with two walks and three strikeouts.
The Billikens had runners on base in every inning Maloney pitched, but he was able to work out of those jams every time.
Rhode Island took the lead in the top of the seventh, following an RBI double by Jack Hopko. The Rams then turned to their relief staff, but Saint Louis was able to tie the score on a Clohisy single to left, which came after teammate Easton Richter singled and stole second.
The Rams got two runners on in the eighth. That’s when SLU turned to its own reliever, Ethan Bell, who struck out the next two batters to get out of that inning, then set the Rams down in order in the top of the ninth.
Richter singled with one out to begin the ninth. Teammate Ethan Sitzman walked to move him to second.
That set up the dramatics of Clohisy coming to bat and he finished off the night with a liner into the gap in right-center that sent everyone wearing blue and white home happy.
Bell (1-1) got the win, while Rhode Island closer Zach Fernandez (0-1) took the loss.
The Billikens and Rams will play Game 2 of their series on Friday. First pitch at the Billiken Sports Complex is slated for 2 p.m.
| Logo | Team | Inning | Play Description | URI | SLU |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | URI | 1st | Anderson homered to left field, RBI. | 1 | 0 |
 | SLU | 1st | SMITH, C reached on a fielder’s choice, RBI; CLOHISY out at second p to 3b to 2b, out on the play; SITZMAN scored, unearned. | 1 | 1 |
| URI | 7th | Hopko doubled to right field, RBI; Penney scored. | 2 | 1 |
| SLU | 7th | CLOHISY singled to left center, RBI; RICHTER scored. | 2 | 2 |
| SLU | 9th | CLOHISY singled to center field, RBI; SITZMAN advanced to second; RICHTER scored. | 2 | 3 |
SAINT LOUIS BILLIKENS 2024 BASEBALL SCHEDULE
| Date | Time | At | Opponent | Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| March 29, 2024 (Friday) | 2 pm | Home | Rhode Island | Billiken Sports Complex |
| March 30, 2024 (Saturday) | 12 pm | Home | Rhode Island | Billiken Sports Complex |
| April 2, 2024 (Tuesday) | 3 pm | Home | SIU-Edwardsville | Billiken Sports Complex |
| April 5, 2024 (Friday) | 3 pm | Away | Saint Joseph’s | Philadelphia, Pa. |
| April 6, 2024 (Saturday) | 2 pm | Away | Saint Joseph’s | Philadelphia, Pa. |
| April 7, 2024 (Sunday) | 12 pm | Away | Saint Joseph’s | Philadelphia, Pa. |
| April 9, 2024 (Tuesday) | 3 pm | Home | Southern Indiana | Billiken Sports Complex |
| April 12, 2024 (Friday) | 3 pm | Home | Davidson | Billiken Sports Complex |
| April 13, 2024 (Saturday) | 2 pm | Home | Davidson | Billiken Sports Complex |
| April 14, 2024 (Sunday) | 12 pm | Home | Davidson | Billiken Sports Complex |
| April 19, 2024 (Friday) | 3 pm | Away | Fordham | New York, N.Y. |
| April 20, 2024 (Saturday) | 1 pm | Away | Fordham | New York, N.Y. |
| April 21, 2024 (Sunday) | 12 pm | Away | Fordham | New York, N.Y. |
| April 23, 2024 (Tuesday) | 3 pm | Away | Lindenwood | St. Charles, Mo. |
| April 26, 2024 (Friday) | 3 pm | Away | George Washington | Washington, D.C |
| April 27, 2024 (Saturday) | 1 pm | Away | George Washington | Washington, D.C |
| April 28, 2024 (Sunday) | 12 pm | Away | George Washington | Washington, D.C |
| April 30, 2024 (Tuesday) | 4 pm | Away | Butler | Indianapolis, Ind. |
| May 3, 2024 (Friday) | 3 pm | Home | George Mason | Billiken Sports Complex |
| May 4, 2024 (Saturday) | 2 pm | Home | George Mason | Billiken Sports Complex |
| May 5, 2024 (Sunday) | 12 pm | Home | George Mason | Billiken Sports Complex |
| May 7, 2024 (Tuesday) | 4 pm | Home | Lindenwood | Billiken Sports Complex |
| May 10, 2024 (Friday) | 3 pm | Home | Dayton | Billiken Sports Complex |
| May 11, 2024 (Saturday) | 2 pm | Home | Dayton | Billiken Sports Complex |
| May 12, 2024 (Sunday) | 12 pm | Home | Dayton | Billiken Sports Complex |
| May 16, 2024 (Thursday) | 3 pm | Away | UMass | Amherst, Mass. |
| May 17, 2024 (Friday) | 1 pm | Away | UMass | Amherst, Mass. |
| May 18, 2024 (Saturday) | 12 pm | Away | UMass | Amherst, Mass. |
| May 21, 2024 (Tuesday) | TBA | Neutral | Atlantic 10 Championship | Tysons, Va. (Capital One Park) |