FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 3-14-01

College Baseball: No. 27 Armstrong Atlantic State 18, Concord 14

SAVANNAH, Ga. – Led by Matt Easterwood's school record-tying six hits, the No. 27-ranked Armstrong Atlantic State baseball team erased a 13-2 deficit and rallied for an 18-14 win over Concord (W.Va.) in 2001 Savannah Invitational action on Tuesday afternoon at Pirate Field.

The Mountain Lions (3-4) raced out to a quick 8-2 lead with two first-inning runs and six second-inning runs, chasing Pirate starter Kyle Blevins in the second inning. After retiring AASU in order in the third, Concord then upped its lead to 11-2 with a three-run third inning and then catcher Scott Jones' two-run home run in the top of the fifth inning gave Concord a 13-2 advantage.

The Pirates (20-6) started to hit in the bottom of the sixth inning, though, as the AASU sent 11 batters to the plate in a six-run fifth inning, highlighted by Trevor Rurak's two-run home run and chasing Concord starter Andrew Wright. A single run by Concord in the top of the sixth made the game 14-8, but the Pirates put together another big inning with four runs in the bottom of the sixth to make the game 14-12.

AASU reliever Bill Keifer (1-0) would hold the Mountain Lions in check in the seventh, then the Pirates would take the lead for good in the bottom of the seventh on Justin Lillie's two-run, two-out double to right field that gave AASU its first lead of the game at 15-14. The Pirates would tack on three more insurance runs in the bottom of the eighth inning.

Easterwood, a junior from Lithia Springs, Ga., became only the third AASU player to collect six hits in a game, joining Dave Bone (1987) and John Booker (1993) in the Pirate record books. Easterwood collected five singles and a double, driving in five runs and scoring three. Each team collected 21 hits in the contest and six players – three for each team – had three or more hits apiece.

The No. 27-ranked Pirates next host Bryant on Thursday, March 15, at 2:00 p.m. in continuing Savannah Invitational action at Pirate Field.

- Pirates -