Purdue Fort Wayne
MIAMI (OH)
Knowling and Nielsen Combine on Gem
3/13/2008 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
March 13, 2008
Bradenton, FL - IPFW starter Brandon Knowling and reliever Chad Nielsen combined on a five-hitter as the Mastodons shutout the Miami Redhawks, 1-0 at Academy Park on Thursday afternoon.
Knowling, who continues to impress, tossed 5-2/3 innings of no-hit ball. He gave up just two hits in 6-1/3 innings.
Nielsen came on to pitch the final 2-2/3 innings for his first save of the season.
While Knowling was mowing down RedHawks, Miami starter Tyler Melling also was getting into a groove.
In fact, this one was scoreless until the top of the 4th inning.
After one out, IPFW shortstop Mark Carden drew a walk. Senior centerfielder Jared Davis got the Mastodons' first hit of the afternoon, a double to right center.
With runners on second and third, Carden made the play of the game. Sophomore first baseman Shawn VanDriessche hit a sharp infield grounder. Miami decided to go home and try to cut down Carden at the plate. Carden got caught up in a run-down.
RedHawk catcher Josh Hula chased Carden back to third, fell over top of Carden but failed to tag him. Carden, realizing he hadn't been tagged, got up off the ground and sprinted to the plate for the only run of the game.
All that was left was to keep Miami off the scoreboard.
Enter Nielsen, whose best friend was the double-play ball.
Nielsen got out of a jam in the 8th inning on a 6-4-3 twin killing.
In the bottom of the 9th, RedHawk first baseman Tommy Nurre and designated hitter Chris Nadeau led off the inning with back-to-back singles.
Nielsen got right fielder Blake Chaffee to pop up to first.
Then he got Hula to ground to second baseman Jimmy Gilliland, and he turned the 4-3 double-play to end the game.
Knowling got his first win as a Mastodon. He fanned seven RedHawks while walking just two.
Nielsen struck out one, while walking none.
VanDriessche had two hits to go along with his fielder's choice RBI.
With the win, IPFW improves to 2-10-1.
They will play the final game of their spring break trip to Bradenton, Florida tomorrow at 10:00 a.m. against the Billikens of Saint Louis University.
~Dons~
