SAVANNAH, Ga. – Junior Marc Noble’s
RBI single in the bottom of the 10th propelled No. 15-ranked
Armstrong Atlantic to a 7-6 extra-inning win over No. 25 Southern
Connecticut State on Friday afternoon at Pirate Field.FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 2-17-06
College Baseball: No. 15 AASU 7, No. 25 Southern Connecticut State 6 (10 inn.)
SAVANNAH, Ga. – Junior Marc Noble’s
RBI single in the bottom of the 10th propelled No. 15-ranked
Armstrong Atlantic to a 7-6 extra-inning win over No. 25 Southern
Connecticut State on Friday afternoon at Pirate Field.
The late-inning heroics were necessary for the Pirates (5-0-1) after a rare off-day by senior All-America closer Matt Nalutka. Nalutka allowed two runs to score in the top of the ninth after recording the first two outs as Joe Kahlden and Jose Ortiz, Jr., each collected RBI singles to put the Owls (0-1) up by one, 6-5. In the bottom of the ninth inning, it was AASU’s turn as they pushed across a single run against SCSU closer Jared Rohrig (0-1) on Pete Gundolff’s RBI single that scored Truman Marek with the game-tying run. AASU loaded the bases against Rohrig, but with two out, Rohrig induced a popup by Joey Davis to send the game into the 10th.
AASU lefty Vyt Rivers (1-0) worked a scoreless tenth inning, then in the bottom of the 10th, Miguel Donate led off with a single to center field. Jared Combs laid down a perfect sacrifice bunt down the first base line, and when SCSU first baseman Nick Czekaj fielded the bunt, his throw sailed over the head of Kahlden, allowing pinch runner Brad Bohannon to reach third. Against a drawn-in infield and outfield, Noble then delivered with the game-winning single to left field to give the Pirates the come-from-behind win.
The game looked to be an offensive slugfest early as the Pirates scored three times in the bottom of the first – keyed by Sean Hotzak’s two-run home run – and the Owls answered with three runs in the top of the second, highlighted by Richard Catalano’s two-run triple. But the game stayed tied at 3-all until the seventh inning, when AASU took a 5-3 lead. SCSU pushed across a single run in the top of the eighth, setting the stages for the late-game drama.
Rohrig pitched one-plus innings, giving up four hits and two runs to take the loss, while Rivers’ scoreless inning gave him his first win as a Pirate. Ortiz went 3-for-5 at the plate to lead the Owls, while Marek’s three hits and two runs scored led the Pirates offensively.
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