April 5, 2008

Box Score

The Southwestern University baseball team moved in to sole possession of second place in the SCAC West Division on Saturday (Apr. 5) as the Pirates took both ends of a doubleheader against Austin College by a score of 12-1 in Georgetown, TX.

Southwestern 12, Austin 1

The Pirates started the scoring in the bottom of the first when senior Richard Falcone (Houston, TX/Westside HS) reached on a double and then with two outs and a full count, Blake Williams (Lufkin, TX/Lufkin HS) drove his fourth home run over the fence in left center. The Roos plated a run in the third thanks to a four-hit inning, an error and a sacrifice fly. Then, in the bottom of the fourth, the Pirates pushed their lead to 3-1 when Williams crushed a 2-2 pitch over the scoreboard in left field.

SU blew the game wide open in the fifth inning, scoring nine runs on eight hits and two AC errors. Pirate hits included RBI singles from Michael Murphy (Houston, TX/Austin HS), Eric Gonzales (Austin, TX/Bowie HS), Mark Noggle (Houston, TX/Clear Lake HS), Kyle Belski (Missouri City, TX/Dulles HS) and Falcone. Todd Boone (Huntsville, TX/Huntsville HS) also recorded a three-run double in the inning.

Starting pitcher Wes Willis (Austin, TX/Austin HS) went the distance in the seven-inning affair to improve his record to 7-1 on the year. The junior right-hander scattered 10 hits while striking out four and walking two. All of the Kangaroo hits were singles. Willis helped his cause by picking off two Kangaroo runners in the game. SU is now 8-2 in games started by Willis this year and he has won four straight decisions.

Williams was 2-3 in the game with three runs scored and three runs batted in. Gonzales collected three hits in four at bats, driving in one and scoring once. Boone was 2-4 with three RBI and two runs scored while also stealing his second base of the year. Falcone also had two hits for the Bucs in four at bats.

Southwestern 12, Austin 1

In the second game, the Pirates allowed a single run in the second inning but used a 1-2-3 double play to get out of a bases loaded, one-out jam with just one run on the board. Southwestern then tied the game in the bottom of the second on a solo home run off the bat of Gonzales. Murphy then led off the SU half of the fourth with a home run to make it 2-1 through four.

Just like the first game, the fifth inning belonged to the Pirates. Southwestern poured it on with seven runs and six hits. The Pirates held the 9-1 lead for a few innings until the bottom of the eighth. Sophomore Matt Clark (Spring, TX/Klein HS) led off with a single and then Falcone hit a two-out single to set the table for Murphy with one out. The junior catcher launched his second homer of the game over the left field fence to end the game at 12-1 thanks to a run-rule.

Belski, a first-year, threw the first complete game of his collegiate career with eight innings pitched and one earned run allowed. He struck out six, walked three and gave up seven hits. Belski's season record now stands at 2-3. Like Willis in the first game, every hit he gave up was a single.

Murphy had a big game, recording four hits in five at bats and driving in six runs. He also scored three times while extending his current hitting streak to seven games. Murphy now has six home runs on the year. Gonzales' home run was his first as he went 2-4 in the game with two runs scored and three driven in.

Williams was a perfect 2-2 at the plate while drawing two walks. Sophomore John Wooten (Columbus, TX/Columbus HS) collected three hits in four at bats, driving in a pair and scoring once. Boone had one hit and has now hit safely in 12 consecutive games.

The Pirates even their season record at 16-16 and are 6-4 in the SCAC. Austin, meanwhile, falls to 14-18 and 6-8.

The two teams will face off in another doubleheader on Sunday (Apr. 6) in Georgetown with the first game starting at 1:00 pm.