FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 3-1-04

College Baseball: No. 20 Northwest Missouri State 3, No. 2 AASU 2

SAVANNAH, Ga. – Northwest Missouri State catcher Ryley Westman’s bases-clearing double plated three runs in the top of the second inning and Bearcats closer Matt Coons made the lead stand in a 3-2 win over Armstrong Atlantic State in 2004 Savannah Invitational action at Pirate Field on Monday afternoon.

Westman’s hit came with one out in the top of the second off of AASU starter Leon Boyd (3-1). Boyd gave up hits to Kyle Gallagher and Andrew Donovan to begin the frame, and after a sacrifice bunt by Jon White moved the two runners to second and third, Boyd walked Coons to load the bases for Westman. Westman hit a looper down the right field line that just bounced foul on a 1-2 pitch, but on the next delivery, lined a shot that hugged the bag down the left field line and rolled into the corner, plating three runs.

Meanwhile, Northwest Missouri State (8-1) southpaw David Dugan limited the Pirate bats to just three hits and no runs through seven innings. Dugan ran into trouble in the bottom of the eighth as he allowed a leadoff single to AASU catcher Sean Hotzak, then walked pinch hitter Kyle Maddux, forcing a pitching change. Dugan moved to first base and the Bearcats closer, Coons, came in from first base to face the Pirates (11-4). Right fielder Brandon Nunez beat out a bunt to third base to load the bases, and after a runner scored on an error by Bearcat second baseman Seth Evans, Coons induced a double play by Adam Pelley, then got George Fletcher to fly out to right field to end the threat.

Coons then retired the Pirates in order in the ninth to preserve the 3-2 victory, the first for the Bearcats over AASU in school history. Dugan (2-0) picked up the victory, limiting the Pirates to four hits and two runs in seven plus innings, striking out seven. Boyd suffered the loss, giving up three runs and five hits in six innings pitched while striking out six.

AASU will play the Bearcats again on Wednesday, March 3, at 2:00 p.m. Northwest Missouri State will take on GC&SU in 2004 Savannah Invitational action on Tuesday, March 2, at 2:00 p.m.

-Pirates-