FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - 1-26-02

College Baseball: AASU 18-16, St. Andrews 2-1

SAVANNAH, Ga. – The No. 18-ranked Armstrong Atlantic State baseball team opened the 2002 season with a doubleheader sweep of St. Andrews at Pirate Field on Saturday afternoon.

The Pirates set a school mark by scoring 18 runs in their opening-game 18-2 win - the previous record was 17 runs in AASU's 17-0 season-opening win over Savannah State in 1993. AASU pounded out 23 hits, led by junior Chris Boaen's 4-for-5 day with three RBIs and Kirk Nordness' 3-for-6 day with his first home run of the season. Junior Mike Roga pitched 5 2/3 innings, allowing two runs and striking out five to earn his first win as a Pirate, while Jeremy Olson pitched 3 1/3 scoreless innings to pick up his first save. St. Andrews' Joe Maione picked up three hits to lead the Knights in game one.

In the second game, senior Pat Daly - making his first career start after converting from catcher - worked in and out of trouble but picked up his first collegiate victory, allowing one run in five innings while striking out nine batters in the Pirates' 16-1 win. The Pirates broke open a 2-1 game with three runs in the third and fourth innings, then put up eight runs in the fifth inning to put the game out of reach. Boaen continued his hot hitting for the Pirates with a 3-for-4 performance in the second game, including his first home run of the season, while sophomore Stacy Bennett went 3-for-4 in the nightcap with five RBI. St. Andrews collected just seven hits in game two and no player had more than one.

The Pirates and the Knights finish the three-game series with a 1:00 p.m. game on Sunday at Pirate Field.

- Pirates -