Walker, Miller lead IPFW to Game 2 Win and Series Split with Southern Utah

Sunday, April 17

Fort Wayne, Ind.

11:00 AM

Purdue Fort Wayne

Southern Utah

Sam Walker tossed a complete game to lead IPFW to a split with Southern Utah

Walker, Miller lead IPFW to Game 2 Win and Series Split with Southern Utah

4/17/2011 5:23:51 PM | Baseball

Game 1 | Game 2 | Photo Gallery

Fort Wayne, IN - The IPFW baseball team let one get away, but then rallied for a win in a doubleheader split with Southern Utah on Sunday afternoon at Mastodons Field.

The Mastodons fell to the Thunderbirds, 16-8 in the opener before winning the nightcap of the twinbill,
8-6. The win moves the 'Dons record to 10-20 overall and 5-3 in Summit League play.

In the first game of the afternoon IPFW jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first as center fielder Kurt Dudley, first baseman A.J. Christensen and left field Cody Galbraith registered RBI base hits.

The 'Dons tacked another on in the second to make it 4-0 on a throwing error by the T-Birds.

Southern Utah made it 4-1 in the third, but the Mastodons got that run right back in the bottom of the inning on an infield RBI single by shortstop Kristian Gayday.

The Thunderbirds (15-18, 4-4 SL) found their swing in the fourth, scoring three including two from the bat of left fielder Tyson Weber who doubled down the left field line, making it 5-4 'Dons.

IPFW came right back and matched that three-spot with three of their own in the bottom of the fourth.

Christiansen's second double of the game drove in second baseman Garrett Segraves. Galbraith plated another with a laser of the chest of first baseman Austin Hunt, and Gayday drove a ball through the right side of the Thunderbird infield. After four complete it was 8-4 IPFW, but that was it for the Mastodon offense.

SUU reliever Bryson Kenolio came on and silenced the hot Mastodon bats for the next four innings, and Southern Utah exploded for 12 unanswered runs to take the opener, 16-8. Kenolio gave up just three hits in his four innings of work for his first win of the season.

IPFW reliever Matt Ransbottom (2-2) was saddled with the loss. He issued seven runs on 11 hits in 3.1 innings. He fanned one.

In Game 2, it looked the SUU was headed for a double header sweep as they bolted out to a 3-0 lead in the 1st inning. Hunt doubled to left center to score two of those runs in the inning.

IPFW got one back in the bottom of the second as Cory Miller singled to left field. SUU left fielder Tyson Weber had trouble getting a handle on the ball and that allowed Kristian Gayday to make the turn at third and score.

The Thunderbirds plated two more in the top of the third off of starter Samuel Walker as right fielder Mitchell Kauweloa sent a shot through the left side of the Mastodon infield scoring Bo Cuthbertson and Taylor Shaw.

But Walker would begin to find a groove from there and the Mastodon bats came to life. In the 4th inning, IPFW loaded the bases for left fielder Steve Danielak. He singled through the right side scoring Miller. Designated hitter Will Faulkner followed with an RBI single of his own plating Brett Clark. The big blow of the inning was a two-run single to center by Christensen. After four the score was tied at five.

IPFW added two more in the 5th inning, one on a Garrett Segraves ground out, the other on a Danielak sacrifice fly.

Southern Utah would get one back in the 6th inning on an RBI double by center fielder Tariq Staton to make it 7-6, IPFW, but the 'Dons got an insurance run in the bottom half of the inning as Miller doubled to left center scoring Nate Thomas.

Walker hit Shaw to open the seventh, but he was quickly erased on 6-3 double play. That was huge because Kauweloa doubled to left in his next at-bat bringing the tying run to the plate. However, Walker got Hunt to fly out to right to end the game.

Walker went the distance (7.0 innings) giving up six runs on nine hits to even his record at 3-3.

MIller was 3-3 with two RBI and a run scored to pace a 'Dons attack that pounded out 14 hits.

Segraves, Danielak, Faulkner and Christensen each had a pair of base hits in the nightcap.

IPFW now steps out of conference for a Tuesday game with Valparaiso at Mastodons Field. First pitch is set for 3:00 p.m.

~Dons~