FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 3-12-05

College Baseball: No. 25 Augusta State 5, AASU 4 (10 inn.)

SAVANNAH, Ga. – Kevin Kelley lined a two-out, 0-2 pitch to left field for an RBI double in the top of the 10th inning to give No. 25-ranked Augusta State a 5-4 win over host Armstrong Atlantic State in PBC action at Pirate Field on Saturday afternoon.

The 10th inning heroics were needed as the Pirates (16-2, 0-1 PBC) rallied in the bottom of the ninth to tie the game and send it into extra innings. AASU first baseman Miguel Donate hit a one-out infield single, then after a sacrifice bunt moved pinch runner Austin Ducey to second base, Brandon Nunez lined a 1-2 pitch to center field, scoring Ducey with the tying run and sending the game into extra innings at 4-all.

The Jaguars (17-7-1, 5-4-1 PBC) got a one-out double from Dustin Rucker in the top of the 10th off of AASU reliever Leon Boyd (0-1). Pinch runner David Beumel moved to third on a fly out, then the Pirates called on closer Matt Nalutka to try and retire Kelley. Kelley hit the run-scoring double to put the Jaguars up, 5-4. AASU threatened in the bottom of the 10th as Adam Pelley narrowly missed a game-tying home run, lining a double off the left field wall with one out, but ASU closer Steven Spragg (1-1) struck out Sean Hotzak and retired Jarin Lewis on a grounder to short to finish the game.

Bennett Mayfield led the Jaguars at the plate with three runs and two RBI, while Rucker added three hits as well. AASU got two hits and two RBI from Miguel Donate, as well as two hits from Pelley and Rob Recuenco.

The Pirates and the Jaguars conclude their three-game PBC series with a doubleheader on Sunday at Pirate Field, beginning at Noon.

- Pirates -