FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 3-16-00

College Baseball: No. 16 AASU 7, Bemidji State 4

SAVANNAH, Ga. – Haydn Chinn's RBI double in the seventh snapped a 2-2 tie and helped the No. 16-ranked Pirates to a 7-4 win over Bemidji State in Savannah Invitational action on Thursday afternoon at Pirate Field.

The Pirates (22-5) and the Beavers (1-5) – playing under a threat of rain all game long – were knotted up at two apiece when AASU got something going against BSU reliever Derreck Moen in the seventh inning. Ray Castillo was hit by a Moen pitch, then Brian Chester sacrificed Castillo to second base. Jimmy LaRose walked, prompting the Beavers to go to the bullpen and bring in Neil Huewe. Second baseman Haydn Chinn greeted Huewe with a double just past the outstretched glove of the first baseman, driving in Castillo with the go-ahead run. A botched double play by the Beavers would score two more runs and the Pirates would take a 5-2 lead.

AASU put two more insurance runs up in the eighth inning on LaRose's two-run single, but the Beavers started a rally in the ninth. Bemidji State loaded the bases on three straight singles, but Shane Shelton induced a double-play ball from Jeff Thoma and got Chad Falk to ground out to shortstop to end the game.

Freshman Andrew Moss (1-0) pitched two innings to record his first win as a Pirate. Moen gave up two runs in 1 1/3 innings to get saddled with the loss for Bemidji State.

AASU returns to PBAC action this weekend as they travel to Aiken, S.C., to face USC Aiken in a three-game series. The Pirates will play USC Aiken in one game at 2:00 p.m. on Saturday, then take on the Pacers in a doubleheader at 1:00 p.m. on Sunday.

- Pirates -