Purdue Fort Wayne
12-32, 0
Southern Utah
13-30, 0
Mastodons Split Slugfest With Thunderbirds
5/7/2010 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
May 7, 2010
Cedar City, UT - In a pivotal Summit League matchup, IPFW and Southern Utah split their series opening doubleheader this afternoon in Cedar City, Utah.
IPFW took Game 1 by the final of 15-10 but fell after leading Game 2 late 16-6.
The Mastodons raced out of the gates quickly, scoring five times in the 1st inning of Game 1. After a 1-0 lead, the 'Dons got a three-run double from the bat of center fielder Kurt Dudley. Dudley would cross the plate for the fifth run of the inning on an RBI single by Will Faulkner.
The Thunderbirds (14-30, 7-10 SL) closed to within two in the bottom of the first, but couldn't keep the 'Dons off the board in the third. Shaun VanDriessche led off the frame with his 13th homer of the season. Brett Clark followed that up with his third homer of the year to make it 7-3. Daren Boss finished off the scoring with an RBI single for an 8-3 Mastodon lead.
Dudley added to his RBI total in the 4th inning with an RBI triple.
IPFW would cruise from that point. Starter Nick Opitz got his fourth win of the season (4-3) going 6.0 innings. He gave up five runs on 11 hits, walking two and striking out one.
Daren Boss was 3-6 with 3 RBI, Jordan Kohler was 4-5 with 3 RBI and Dudley drove in four.
SUU starter Steve Johnson took the loss (3-5) lasting just 2.1 innings. He issued eight runs (three earned) on nine hits. He struck out and walked one.
In the nightcap, IPFW looked to be on their way to a sweep. The Mastodons raced out to a 5-1 lead on the strength of a three-run homer by VanDriessche, his 14th.
Southern Utah closed the gap on the 'Dons in the sixth. The Thunderbirds got an RBI double by Marcus Romero, an RBI single by Joe Goldenberg and an RBI groundout by Taylor Shaw to make it 5-4.
That was just the tip of the iceberg as the T-Birds blew the game wide open with nine runs on eight hits in the bottom of the seventh to earn the split.
SUU starter Kyle Melling (4-2) went the distance in the 10-run rule shortened game giving up six runs on 10 hits. He fanned nine and walked two.
IPFW starter Matt Antos was tagged with the loss (2-6). In 6.1 innings, he gave up eight runs (six earned) on nine hits. He struck out six and walked two.
With the split, IPFW is now 12-33 and 8-10 in conference play. The two teams finish their series on Saturday afternoon with another twinbill at Thunderbird Park.
~Dons~
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Opitz, Nick (4-3)
L: Steve Johnson (3-5)
Batting:
2B: Miller, Cory 1 ; Clark, Brett 1 ; Dudley, Kurt 1 ; Kohler, Jordan 1
3B: Dudley, Kurt 1
HR: VanDriessche, Shaun 1 ; Clark, Brett 1
RBI: Boss, Daren 3 ; Christensen, A.J. 1 ; VanDriessche, Shaun 1 ; Clark, Brett 1 ; Dudley, Kurt 4 ; Faulkner, Will 1 ; Kohler, Jordan 3
SF: Christensen, A.J. 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Segraves, Garrett 1 ; Boss, Daren 2 ; Miller, Cory 1 ; VanDriessche, Shaun 1 ; Clark, Brett 5 ; Dudley, Kurt 2 ; Faulkner, Will 1 ; Kohler, Jordan 2
SB: Kohler, Jordan 1
Batting:
2B: Marcus Romero 1 ; Taylor Shaw 2 ; Mitchell Kauweloa 1
HR: Joe Goldenberg 1
RBI: Marcus Romero 1 ; Matt Sanford 1 ; Joe Goldenberg 4 ; Taylor Shaw 1 ; Mitchell Kauweloa 1 ; Tyler Hogge 2
Base Running:
RUNS: Bo Cuthbertson 2 ; Marcus Romero 2 ; Matt Sanford 1 ; Joe Goldenberg 1 ; Taylor Shaw 2 ; Mitchell Kauweloa 1 ; James Crockett 1
SB: Bo Cuthbertson 1 ; Mitchell Kauweloa 1 ; Tyler Hogge 1
CS: Marcus Romero 1
