Opitz Complete Game Highlights Doubleheader Split With SUU

Saturday, April 16

Fort Wayne, Ind.

12:00 PM

Purdue Fort Wayne

Southern Utah

Garrett Segraves was 3-5 with 2 RBI in Game 1 vs. SUU

Opitz Complete Game Highlights Doubleheader Split With SUU

4/16/2011 6:42:07 PM | Baseball

Game 1 | Game 2 | Photo Gallery

Fort Wayne - IPFW starter Nick Optiz tossed a complete game to pace IPFW to a doubleheader split with Southern Utah on Saturday afternoon at Mastodons Field in less than ideal conditions.

In a rainy, blustery afternoon in the 40s, the Mastodons took Game 1, 8-1 but were attacked by the Thunderbirds in Game 2, 30-9.

Opitz scattered 10 hits, while striking out five and walking one, for his third win of the season (3-4).

The Mastodons, after loading the bases in the first and second innings, finally broke through in the top of the third.

Right fielder Nate Thomas brought home first baseman A.J. Christensen with a sacrifice fly to right field. Third baseman Cory Miller followed that up with an RBI double to center field scoring center fielder Kurt Dudley, making it 2-0.

The 'Dons got two more in the 4th inning on Brett Clark double to right and a Christensen single to left.

Leading 4-0, IPFW put the game away in the 5th inning with three more runs. Second baseman Garrett Segraves plated a pair with a single to left. Shortstop Will Faulkner finished out the inning with an RBI single to center.

IPFW and SUU both tallied in the 8th inning to make the final score, 8-1.

Segraves, Faulkner, Christensen and Thomas each had three hits in the game.

Chris Chung took the loss for SUU (5-4). He lasted just three innings, giving up two runs on seven hits.

Game 2 was all Southern Utah from the get-go. After a run in the first, the T-Birds got six in the second, with a pair coming on a 2-run homer by designated hitter Taylor Shaw.

SUU (14-7, 3-3 SL) scored in every inning of the run-rule shortened contest, including an 8-run outburst in the fifth.

The Thunderbirds also got homers from Marcus Romero and Bo Cuthbertson in the rout. Cuthbertson was 6-7 in the game with six RBI and four runs scored. Tyson Weber was 5-6 with two RBI and four runs score.

Kurt Dudley was 2-3 with two RBI and a pair of runs scored for the 'Dons.

IPFW starter Lucas Kesterson took the loss (0-4). He gave up 12 runs on 14 hits in 3.1 innings.

SUU starter James Crockett went 5.0 innings for the win (3-5). He struck out 12 and walked five.

With the split, IPFW stands at 9-19 and 4-2 in Summit League play.

The two teams finish their series on Sunday with a doubleheader at 11:00 a.m.

~Dons~