FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 2-4-06

College Baseball: No. 14 AASU 6, No. 12 Tusculum 6 (11 inn.)

SAVANNAH, Ga. – Armstrong Atlantic State and Tusculum opened the 2006 season with a 6-6 tie on Saturday afternoon as darkness halted the contest after 11 innings of play. It’s the first tie for the No. 14-ranked Pirates in 12 years, since AASU tied NC State, 13-13, in 10 innings in another game also halted because of darkness.

The Pirates (0-0-1) jumped out to a 5-0 lead on an unearned run in the second inning, a two-run home run by Truman Marek in the fifth inning and a two-run single by Sean Hotzak in the sixth inning. Tusculum (0-0-1) scratched back with a single run in the seventh inning, then greeted AASU reliever Aaron Johnson in the top of the eighth inning with four straight hits. A two-run double by Lyall Foran tied the game at 5-all and set the stages for extra innings.

Tusculum pushed across a run in the top of the 11th on an RBI single by Josh Wolff, then the Pirates answered with a two-out RBI single by Jared Combs in the bottom of the 11th to tie it at 6-6. With runners on first and second, Jarin Lewis fouled out to end the game when darkness prevented continuation of play.

Chase Leatherwood hurled five shutout innings for the Pirates on Saturday, while senior All-America closer Matt Nalutka hurled two shutout innings, his 27th scoreless appearance in 28 career games for the Pirates. Tusculum starter Kenny Lewis pitched six innings, giving up seven hits and five runs – four earned – for the Pioneers.

Tusculum is in action on Sunday as they take on Barry in a 10:00 a.m. contest at Pirate Field. AASU will then play Barry at 2:00 p.m., also at Pirate Field.

- Pirates -