This Week In Armstrong Atlantic State Athletics, 3-25-02

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 3-25-02

This Week In Armstrong Atlantic State Athletics

Monday, March 25
• Men's Golf at GC&SU Bobcat Invitational (Greensboro, Ga.)

Tuesday, March 26
• Men's Golf at GC&SU Bobcat Invitational (Greensboro, Ga.)
• Softball at GC&SU, 1:00 p.m.

Wednesday, March 27
• Men's Tennis vs. North Florida, 1:00 p.m.
• Women's Tennis vs. North Florida, 1:00 p.m.

Thursday, March 28
No Events Scheduled

Friday, March 29
• Baseball at USC Aiken, 6:00 p.m.

Saturday, March 30
• Baseball at USC Aiken (DH), 1:00 p.m.
• Softball at Columbus State, 2:00 p.m.
• Men's Tennis at Lander, 2:00 p.m.

Sunday, March 31
No Events Scheduled - Happy Easter !

Baseball (26-10 Overall, 4-8 Peach Belt)

The Armstrong Atlantic State baseball squad saw its losing streak extend to six as they were held to just two runs in three games at Columbus State over the weekend.

The Pirates' Mike Roga and Scott Sears engaged in a classic pitcher's duel on Saturday in the first game as both pitchers gave up just six hits through eight innings. Back-to-back errors by the Pirates pushed across the only run in the game as Columbus State took the game, 1-0.

CSU then swept Sunday's doubleheader, 4-1 and 9-1, to sweep the PBC series from the Pirates. Kirk Nordness accounted for one of the runs with his team-leading 12^th home run in the second game.

Senior catcher David Harriman continued his AASU-record hitting streak by collecting four hits on the weekend, two on Saturday and one in each game on Sunday. Harriman now has collected at least one hit in 36 consecutive games, a new PBC hitting streak record for a single season and the fifth longest hitting streak in NCAA DII history.

This week, the Pirates will visit USC Aiken for a three-game PBC series beginning on Friday evening, March 29, at 6:00 p.m., then finishing on Saturday, March 30, with a doubleheader beginning at 1:00 p.m.

Men's Golf (No. 18 NCAA Division II)

The No. 18-ranked AASU golf team will be next in action on March 25-26 at the GC&SU Bobcat Invitational in Milledgeville, Ga.

Softball (24-1, 4-0 Peach Belt, No. 6 NCAA Division II)

The No. 6-ranked AASU softball squad extended its winning streak to 17 straight with seven wins on the week, sweeping Barton in a non-conference doubleheader on Thursday, then going 5-0 at the 2002 KSU Owl Classic in Kennesaw, Ga., over the weekend.

AASU swept Barton College, 7-0 and 4-2, on Thursday to remain perfect at home in 2002. Freshman Amanda Kort hit her first home run of the season, a three-run blast, in the first game.

The Lady Pirates then traveled to Kennesaw to take part in the 2002 Owl Classic. On Friday afternoon, AASU shut out Shaw, 12-0, then on Saturday the Lady Pirates edged No. 14-ranked Alabama-Huntsville, 2-1, and beat Limestone, 4-2. AASU then threw two shutouts on Sunday, blanking Longwood, 7-0, and Shaw, 9-0, to finish the classic with a perfect 5-0 mark.

Senior Annie Sells went 3-0 on the week with one save and an 0.33 ERA as she hurled her 41^st and 42^nd career shutouts, tying her for the all-time Peach Belt Conference lead. Sells also hit .522 and slugged 1.174 with four home runs and 12 RBI.

The Lady Pirates return to Peach Belt Conference action on Tuesday, March 26 as they travel to No. 24-ranked GC&SU for a 1:00 p.m. doubleheader, then the Pirates will travel to Columbus to face the Cougars at 2:00 p.m. on Saturday, March 30.

Men's Tennis (8-7, 4-2 Peach Belt, No. 19 NCAA Division II)

The No. 19-ranked AASU men's tennis team split four matches on the week, defeating No. 25-ranked Anderson College, 5-4, and No. 33-ranked Georgia College & State University, 5-4, but fell to the top-ranked NAIA squad Auburn-Montgomery, 9-0, and No. 4-ranked and defending NCAA DII champion Rollins College, 7-2.

AASU returns to action this week with two key Peach Belt Conference matches as they host No. 9-ranked North Florida on Wednesday, March 27 at 1:00 p.m., then travel to Greenwood, S.C., to face No. 11-ranked Lander on Saturday, March 30 at 2:00 p.m.

Women's Tennis (14-2, 9-0 Peach Belt, No. 1 NCAA Division II)

The Armstrong Atlantic State women's tennis team ascended to the top of the Omni Hotels/ITA Division II Women's Tennis rankings on Monday, the first time that AASU has been at the top of the rankings since the 1997 season. The Lady Pirates then split two matches on the week, losing a duel with the top-ranked team in NAIA, Auburn-Montgomery, 5-4, but rebounding to defeat No. 13-ranked Georgia College & State University, 9-0, to remain undefeated against NCAA Division II competition this year.

AASU will face No. 9-ranked North Florida on Wednesday, March 27, at 1:00 p.m. in a match that will clinch the Peach Belt Conference regular season title and the No. 1 seed in the upcoming Peach Belt Conference championships.

- Pirates -