FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 4-7-01

College Baseball: Armstrong Atlantic St. 17-3, No. 14 Columbus St. 12-2

SAVANNAH, Ga. – Ryan Chromek's single over the head of CSU leftfielder Taylor Groce plated Chris Boaen with the winning run in the bottom of the seventh inning, giving AASU a 3-2 win and a doubleheader sweep of No. 14-ranked Columbus State in Peach Belt Conference baseball action on Saturday afternoon. AASU won the first game, 17-12.

The Pirates (28-13, 9-11 PBC) pounded out 17 hits and 17 runs in the first game and took advantage of five Columbus State (26-14, 9-11 PBC) errors in taking game one of the doubleheader. AASU sprinted out to a 12-3 lead, but the Cougars closed the gap with an eight-run fifth inning to make the score 12-11. The Pirates answered back with three runs in the bottom of the fifth and held on for the win. Adam Olejniczak (4-3) pitched 4 1/3 innings of relief to pick up the victory for AASU, giving up six hits and four runs, only one earned. Jason Burdette (5-3) was tagged with the loss for CSU, giving up seven hits and 11 runs, nine earned, in 2 2/3 innings pitched.

In the second game, the Pirates' Brian Allen and the Cougars' Buck Bradberry locked up in a dandy pitcher's duel that came down to the last at-bat. The Pirates took a 1-0 lead when consecutive throwing errors by Justin Demant and Chris Gilstrap scored Stacy Bennett with the unearned run in the bottom of the third. In the fifth, though, the Cougars took the lead on Josh Maner's two-run double to left field, scoring Brian Koon and Justin Demant. In the bottom of the seventh, though, David Harriman led off the inning with a single and then consecutive singles by Chris Boaen, Bennett and Chromek plated the winning runs. Allen (3-1) gave up two runs and six hits in seven innings for the win, while Bradberry (5-3) gave up just six hits and three runs, two earned, to take the loss.

Bennett went 3-for-6 in the doubleheader and extended his hitting streak to 11 games, for the Pirates, while Harriman went 4-for-8 and Boaen went 4-for-7 with five runs scored in the doubleheader. CSU was led by Brad Bouras (4-for-8), Gilstrap (4-for-10) and Maner (3-for-10, 4 RBI) in the double dip.

The Pirates and the Cougars conclude their series on Sunday afternoon with a 1:00 p.m. contest at Pirate Field.

- Pirates -