Box Score - Game 1
Box Score - Game 2
WINTER HAVEN, Fla. – The University of Charleston baseball team picked up its first victory of the 2010 season as it split a doubleheader with Rockhurst (Kan.), Wednesday afternoon. The Golden Eagles dropped the first game 13-12, while winning the second contest by the same score total (13-12).
In the first contest, UC fell behind 4-3 early but used a six hits and an error to record seven runs in the fourth inning to pull away to a 10-4 advantage. The big inning wouldn’t be enough for Charleston though as the Hawks took advantage of a Golden Eagles error to start the bottom half of the inning. Rockhurst used the momentum to tally seven hits in the bottom of the fourth to knock UC starter Matt Thompson from the mound and retake the lead at 12-10.
The Golden Eagles tied the game at 12-12 in the top of the fifth inning on a double by John Shraer. The score would hold until Rockhurst found its way back to the base paths by leading off the bottom of the seventh with a single by Mike Walczuk. After the single and a walk to the next batter, UC Coach Tom Nozica elected to set up the defensive effort by intentionally walking the bases loaded. The defensive scheme did not pan out as reliever Garrett Bostic walked the fourth batter of the inning to plate the game winning run.
Andy Stichter and Sage Iacovone paced the University of Charleston with three RBIs apiece and combining for four runs on 4-of-7 at the plate.
Game two saw the offensive firepower begin just as the first contest as UC led 3-2 after three innings. For the second time on the day the fourth inning proved to wake the bats for each team UC and Rockhurst both plated three runs in the inning on three hits.
UC held a 7-6 lead after both teams found a run in the fifth inning, but the Hawks exploded for six runs in the top of the sixth. Three of the six runs in the inning were unearned as UC committed one of its five errors of the game with two outs in the inning. The Golden Eagles responded in the bottom half of the sixth as Conner Shehan drove in two runs with a two-out double to cut the Rockhurst lead to 12-9.
Golden Eagles reliever Travis Zimmerman came on to shutdown the Hawk attack in the seventh to set UC up for a monumental comeback. A fielders-choice and back-to-back singles loaded the bases for junior Andrew Armstrong who delivered with a three-run triple to tie the game at 12-12. The next batter Sage Iacovone struck out, yet alertly noticed the Rockhurst catcher did not cleanly catch the ball allowing him to advance towards first base. The catchers throw was off the mark to first allowing Armstrong to score from third base to end the contest with a 13-12 UC victory.
Andy Stichter led UC at the plate by going 3-of-4 with two runs batted in and two runs scored, yet it was Armstrong who delivered in the clutch as he finished the contest with five RBIs and two runs scored.
The teams combined for 50 runs and 57 hits on the afternoon, while also accumulating 15 errors.
The Golden Eagles return to action tomorrow morning to face Saginaw Valley at 9:00 am in Winter Park, Fla. Follow UC online at their new athletics home www.ucwvathletics.com, live stats will be available for the contest against Saginaw Valley.
