This Week In Armstrong Atlantic State Athletics, 2-11-08

Tuesday, February 12 
Men's Tennis at USC Aiken, 2:00 p.m. 
Women's Tennis at USC Aiken, 4:00 p.m.

Wednesday, February 13 
Women's Basketball vs. GCSU, 5:30 p.m. 
Men's Basketball vs. GCSU, 7:30 p.m.

Friday, February 15 
Softball at West Georgia Invitational 
AASU vs. North Alabama, 10:00 a.m. 
AASU at West Georgia, Noon 
AASU vs. Lenoir-Rhyne, 6:00 p.m. 
Men's Tennis at Columbus State, 2:00 p.m. 
Women's Tennis at Columbus State, 2:00 p.m.

Saturday, February 16 
Softball at West Georgia Invitational 
AASU vs. West Alabama, 10:00 a.m. 
AASU vs. North Alabama, Noon 
Women's Basketball at Augusta State, 4:00 p.m. 
Men's Basketball at Augusta State, 6:00 p.m.

Men’s Basketball (14-7 Overall, 8-6 Peach Belt Conference)
The Pirates climbed back into the thick of the PBC race with three wins on the week, putting AASU in fourth place, just a half game behind GCSU.

Corey Johnson’s two free throws with five seconds left gave AASU a 60-58 road win at Francis Marion on Monday evening. Johnson led all Pirate scorers with 18 points, while Patrick Sanou chipped in 11 points.

Wednesday, the Pirates began the game with a 26-5 run as AASU blasted a short-handed Georgia Southwestern State team, 73-55. T.T. Hall led a quartet of Pirates in double figures with 18 points, while Calvin Wilson added 14 points and Parker Hayden scored 11 points off the bench.

AASU then tied a season high with 14 three-pointers as the Pirates ran past UNC Pembroke, 76-50. Corey Johnson hit 6-of-9 threes en route to 24 points, while Jamaal Galloway hit 4-of-8 threes on his way to 15 points and senior William Kane dished out 12 assists, his fifth game this season with 10+ assists.

Galloway’s last three against the Braves pushed him past Nathan Norman of USC Upstate for third place on the Peach Belt Conference’s all-time three-point chart. Galloway now has 256 threes in his career, 26 shy of the league record and nine shy of CSU’s Yandel Brown (264) for second.

The Pirates return to action on Wednesday with a 7:30 p.m. contest against GCSU, then AASU travels to nationally-ranked Augusta State for a 6:00 p.m. contest on Saturday against the Jaguars.

Women’s Basketball (13-8 Overall, 7-7 Peach Belt Conference)
The Armstrong Atlantic State women’s basketball team won two of three league games on the week to climb back to .500 in the conference at 7-7.

The Lady Pirates held the nation’s top scoring team to a season-low 73 points in a tough four-point loss at Francis Marion on Monday. Senior Kaneetha Gordon scored 18 points and grabbed 19 rebounds, moving into third place on the PBC’s all-time rebounding chart, passing Skye Barber of North Florida.

AASU then returned home and defeated Georgia Southwestern State, 59-43, holding the Lady Hurricanes to just 26.5 percent from the field and just 1-of-16 three-pointers. Gordon’s game-high11 points pushed her past Zandrique Cason for fourth place on AASU’s all-time scoring chart.

The Lady Pirates then won back-to-back games for the first time in a month as AASU won in overtime at UNC Pembroke, 66-59. Gordon registered a double-double with 13 points and 12 rebounds, while Lacey Willis chipped in 13 points..

The Lady Pirates next host GCSU on “Think Pink” night on Wednesday as a part of the WBCA’s initiative to promote Breast Cancer Awareness. Fans will be admitted free with a $1 donation, and a halftime performance by the AASU cheerleaders and recording artist Rose M. Jones will take place to help promote the DVD project “Shower The World With Love,” which deals with breast cancer survivors.

Baseball (6-0 Overall, 0-0 Peach Belt Conference, No. 9 Collegiate Baseball Top 30)
The AASU baseball squad collected a second straight three-game series sweep of a top 10-ranked opponent over the weekend, taking three games from Southern Indiana to move to 6-0 on the season.

Derrek Miller’s two-run home run in the bottom of the 10th inning on Saturday gave the Pirates a 6-4 win and a doubleheader sweep of the Screaming Eagles. AASU won the first game, 9-4, behind Josh Wilson’s two home runs and Miller’s three hits and two RBI.

Sunday, the Pirates earned the sweep with a seven-run fifth inning, jumping out to an 11-0 lead and cruising to the 13-2 victory. Joey Davis clubbed two two-run home runs while Jeff Chase hurled six innings of one-hit ball, striking out seven, for AASU.

The Pirates have now opened up the season with six straight wins over top 10-ranked opponents. Fresh off the two sweeps, AASU has ascended to No. 9 in this week’s Collegiate Baseball Division II Top 30 poll.

AASU does not have a scheduled opponent this week, but will be attempting to add a pair of games for this upcoming weekend. If not successful, the Pirates will be next in action on Saturday, February 23, opening the PBC slate with a 2:00 p.m. game against GCSU at Pirate Field.

Softball (6-2 Overall, 0-0 Peach Belt Conference)
The Armstrong Atlantic State softball squad went a perfect 4-0 in a pair of weekend road doubleheaders, sweeping two games from Georgia Southwestern State and Albany State to improve to 6-2 on the season.

The Pirates exacted a little revenge on Saturday for an earlier 2-1 loss to Georgia Southwestern at the Claflin Invitational by traveling to Americus and taking two from the Hurricanes, 8-3 and 10-0. The Pirates pounded out 17 hits in the game one win, then clubbed four home runs in the nightcap.

AASU then visited Albany State on Sunday and took two from the Rams, winning the first game, 3-2, in eight innings and taking game two, 8-0, in five innings. Natalie Vogler's sacrifice fly in the top of the eighth inning brought home the winning run in game one, then Sam Floyd limited the Rams to two hits while striking out nine in four innings of game two.

The Pirates visit Lander on Thursday, February 14, for a 2:00 p.m. Peach Belt Conference doubleheader, then AASU will take part in the West Georgia Invitational on Friday, February 15, and Saturday, February 16.

Men’s Tennis (4-0 Overall, 2-0 Peach Belt Conference, No. 4 ITA DII National Rankings)
The Armstrong Atlantic State men's tennis team picked up three wins on the week to improve to 4-0 on the young season, including 2-0 in the Peach Belt Conference.

The No. 4-ranked Pirates swept the No. 19-ranked Jaguars of Augusta State, 9-0, on Saturday in both teams’ Peach Belt opener.

AASU then opened up its home schedule on Sunday with a pair of matches. The Pirates took care of league foe Georgia Southwestern State, 9-0, then defeated Flagler College, 8-1.

Earlier in the week, the Peach Belt Conference released its preseason All-PBC team and senior Robert Jendelund and junior Paul Bishop were named to the squad.

The Pirates play a pair of road PBC matches this week, visiting USC Aiken on Tuesday at 2:00 p.m., then taking on Columbus State on Friday at 2:00 p.m.

Women’s Tennis (4-0 Overall, 2-0 Peach Belt Conference, No. 2 ITA DII National Rankings)
The No. 2-ranked Armstrong Atlantic State women’s tennis team stretched its regular season winning streak to 94 with three 9-0 wins on the week.

The Lady Pirates opened up Peach Belt play with a 9-0 win over No. 26 Augusta State on Saturday in Augusta.

AASU then hosted a pair of matches on Sunday, blanking league foe Georgia Southwestern State, 9-0, and Flagler College, 9-0.

The Peach Belt Conference announced its preseason All-PBC squad earlier in the week and seniors Iuliia Stupak and Johanna Dahlback were named to the team.

The Lady Pirates play a pair of road PBC matches this week, visiting USC Aiken on Tuesday at 2:00 p.m., then taking on Columbus State on Friday at 2:00 p.m.

Men’s Golf (No. 15, GCAA Top 25 Coaches’ Poll)
Junior Chris Wolfe sank a three-foot birdie putt on the 18th hole of the second round to capture the Outback Steakhouse Intercollegiate title by one stroke at the Hombre Golf Club in Panama City, Fla. The Pirates, as a team, finished fifth.

Wolfe shot a four-under-par 68 on Tuesday to edge Newberry's Daniel Stanley by one shot, finishing the two-day tournament with a five-under-par 139 total. Currently the top-ranked DII golfer and the No. 12-ranked golfer overall in the Golfstat Cup rankings, the title is Wolfe's third of the season and sixth of his career.

As a team, the Pirates shot a second-round 295 on Tuesday to finish with a two-day 593 total, 15 strokes behind team champion St. Edwards (578). Columbus State (586), Lander (587) and Clayton State (592) rounded out the top five.

Mitch and Parker Gordon each tied for 26th with a two-day 150 total, six-over-par. Justin Smith shot consecutive rounds of 77 to finish with a 154 total, finishing in 41st place, while Daniel Mobley rounded out the Pirates' scoring with a 156 total, finishing tied for 44th.

Women’s Golf
The Armstrong Atlantic State women's golf team fired rounds of 336 and 351 to finish in 12th place at the Kiawah Island Invitational on Sunday afternoon at the Cougar Point Golf Course.

The Pirates finished the two-day tournament with a 687 total. Florida Southern captured the team title with a 599 total, six strokes better than Nova Southeastern.

Senior Katherine Hooks shout rounds of 73 and 79 to finish tied for ninth individually with a 152 total, her second top 10 finish of the season. Freshman Kristin Jelinek finished tied for 55th with a 172 total, while Carrie George finished tied for 69th with a 181 total. Kristen Graham (182, t71st) and Alexandra Norman (194, t78th) rounded out the Lady Pirates' scoring.

The Lady Pirates return to action on February 18-19 at the Mars Hill Collegiate in Sunset Beach, N.C.