This Week In Armstrong Atlantic State Athletics, 4-1-02

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 4-1-02

This Week In Armstrong Atlantic State Athletics

Monday, April 1
• Men's Golf at Amoco Ultimate-Young Oil Intercollegiate (Jacksonville, Ala.)

Tuesday, April 2
• Men's Golf at Amoco Ultimate-Young Oil Intercollegiate (Jacksonville, Ala.)

Wednesday, April 3
• Softball at North Florida, 4:00 p.m.

Thursday, April 4
No Events Scheduled

Friday, April 5
• Men's Tennis vs. BYU-Hawaii, Noon (@ Pensacola, Fla.)
• Women's Tennis vs. BYU-Hawaii, Noon (@ Pensacola, Fla.)

Saturday, April 6
• Softball vs. Francis Marion, 1:00 p.m.
• Men's Tennis vs. Delta State, 9:00 a.m. (@ Pensacola, Fla.)
• Women's Tennis vs. Delta State, 9:00 a.m. (@ Pensacola, Fla.)
• Baseball at Francis Marion, 3:00 p.m.

Sunday, April 7
• Women's Tennis vs. Ouachita Baptist, 9:00 a.m. (@ Pensacola, Fla.)
• Baseball at Francis Marion (DH), 1:00 p.m.

Baseball (27-12 Overall, 5-10 Peach Belt)

The Armstrong Atlantic State baseball squad saw snapped its six-game losing streak with a Friday night 5-3 win over USC Aiken, but the Pirates dropped both ends of Saturday's doubleheader to fall to 5-10 in the PBC and 27-12 overall.

Mike Roga and Zach Shelnutt limited the Pacers to just three hits on Friday evening, while the Pirates plated five runs on 10 hits to end their losing streak at six. Senior Rob Mills hit a solo home run and led the Pirates with two hits, while senior catcher David Harriman extended his hitting streak with a single in the fourth inning.

The Pirates and the Pacers then hooked up for a close battle on Saturday as the Pacers had to go 12 innings to defeat the Pirates, 5-4. USC Aiken led, 4-2, but sophomore Ryan Chromek drilled a two-run home run to tie the game and send it to extra innings. The Pirates had chances to score, placing a runner on base in each of the extra innings, but USC Aiken finally broke through with a two-out single with runners on first and second for the victory. The Pacers then rallied from a 3-1 deficit after a 45-minute rain delay in the nightcap to win the rubber game of the series, 6-3.

Harriman cranked home runs in each of the two games on Saturday to extend his season-long hitting streak to 39 games, the third-best hitting streak in NCAA Division II history, trailing only Jason Jones (Kennesaw State, 41) and Craig Sizemore (Lenoir-Rhyne, 46).

This week, the Pirates will visit Francis Marion for a three-game PBC series beginning on Saturday afternon, April 6, at 3:00 p.m., then finishing on Sunday, April 7, with a doubleheader beginning at 1:00 p.m.

Softball (26-1, 6-0 Peach Belt, No. 2 NCAA Division II)

The AASU softball squad received national recognition this week as they ascended to the second spot in the NFCA DII Top 25 poll and senior Annie Sells was named the NFCA/Louisville Slugger DII Player of the Week.

The Lady Pirates then went to Columbus State and swept a PBC doubleheader from the Cougars, 8-7 and 6-1. AASU's scheduled Tuesday doubleheader at GC&SU was postponed due to rain and will be made up on Wednesday, April 17.

AASU trailed the Cougars, 7-0, in the fourth inning but rallied back to close the gap to 7-5 in the sixth inning. With two on, sophomore Stacey Richardson drilled a three-run home run to put the Pirates ahead, 8-7, and come away with the win in game one.

Freshman Katy Perkins then limited the Cougars to six hits, while striking out five, and freshman Diana Corwin drilled a three-run home run as the Pirates won the second game, 6-1.

The Lady Pirates next travel to No. 13-ranked North Florida for a PBC doubleheader on Wednsday, April 3 at 4:00 p.m., then AASU returns home for a PBC doubleheader on Saturday, April 6 at 1:00 p.m. against Francis Marion.

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

The No. 18-ranked AASU golf finished 10th at the GC&SU Bobcat Invitational on Tuesday afternoon, held at the Port Armor Golf Club in Greensboro, Ga., on Monday and Tuesday.

The Pirates finished the three-round tournament with a 912 total, 48 over par and 46 strokes behind team champion USC Aiken, who captured the team title by eight strokes over runner-up Pfeiffer.

Freshman Ashley Loyd led the Pirates individually with a nine-over-par 225 total, finishing tied for 20^th individually. Sophomore Clay finish tied for 24th individually

with a 10-over-par 226 total, while freshman Jonathan Cox finished tied for 38th with a 14-over-par 230 total. Freshmen Nick Cowper (T60th, +21 237) and Lee Clarke (T62nd, +22 238) rounded out the Pirates' scoring.

The Pirates are next in action in Jacksonville, Ala., at the Amoco Ultimate-Young Oil Intercollegiate, hosted by Jacksonville State University, on Monday, April 1 and Tuesday, April 2.

Men's Tennis (8-9, 4-3 Peach Belt, No. 19 NCAA Division II)

The No. 19-ranked AASU men's tennis dropped two matches by 5-4 scores during the week, losing to No. 9-ranked North Florida and No. 31-ranked Kutztown.

AASU also had a scheduled match with Lander rained out on Saturday in Greenwood, S.C.

AASU returns to action this week at the White Sands Invitational in Pensacola, Fla., as the Pirates will face No. 1-ranked BYU Hawaii and Delta State on Friday, April 5 and Saturday, April 6, respectively.

Women's Tennis (16-2, 10-0 Peach Belt, No. 1 NCAA Division II)

The top-ranked AASU women's tennis squad clinched the regular season Peach Belt Conference title with an 8-1 win over North Florida on Wednesday, and also blanked Kutztown, 9-0, on Thursday to improve to 16-2 on the season.

The Lady Pirates finished the PBC season undefeated and will be the No. 1 seed in the upcoming Peach Belt Conference Championships on April 18-20 in Jacksonville, Fla.

This week, the Lady Pirates travel to Pensacola, Fla., for the White Sands Invitational. A showdown with No. 2-ranked BYU-Hawaii will take place on Friday, April 5 at Noon, in a matchup of two teams who are undefeated against NCAA DII competition this season. AASU will also face No. 21-ranked Delta State on Saturday, April 6, at 9:00 a.m. and No. 9-ranked Ouachita Baptist on Sunday, April 7, at 9:00 a.m.

- Pirates -